Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis and Danielle Kleven.
Hi Travis and Danielle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We are Travis and Danielle Kleven, better known as ‘The Kleven’s Brew Tour’. We live in Milwaukee and our story started in 2017. Travis and Danielle started dating and while Travis enjoyed domestic beers, Danielle had not acquired the taste- yet. The more dates we went on, the more beers Travis made Danielle try.
Growing up in Milwaukee, home of Miller Coors, Miller Lites and Blue Moons were everywhere and eventually grew on Danielle. After a few years, Travis and Danielle began trying different beer styles and flavors at local breweries and everything changed! The variety of beer styles to choose off a tap list and the number of breweries in the Milwaukee area completely changed our love for beer in the best way. Their date nights included brewery tours, beer flights and many soft pretzels. Milwaukee is a great place for craft beer and is full of breweries and the Kleven’s tried to visit them all. Travis and Danielle couldn’t remember all the breweries they visited so they created a beer blog on Instagram called ‘The Kleven’s Brew Tour’ (@theklevensbrewtour). The page started as a private account for Travis and Danielle to document their beer-ventures but as family and friends heard about our travels and the breweries we found across the country, they wanted to follow the page and see what The Kleven’s found. Then a global pandemic hit. Breweries were closing and selling to-go beers trying to get through this difficult time. Travis and Danielle continued to visit the breweries but they wanted to show more support for these small businesses. The Kleven’s Brew Tour page went public and everyone in the area was hearing about local small businesses that needed help and beer that needed to be drank. The Kleven’s were meeting brewery owners, asked to visit local breweries and meeting other craft beer fans in the community.
Before long, Travis and Danielle were asked to host a podcast, Market the Brew. Scott Schmidt, owner of Promote the Brew, reached out and asked Travis and Danielle if they would be interested in hosting his podcast, Market the Brew. The focus of the podcast is to talk to people in the beer industry about their brewery’s marketing ideas and provide inspiration to others. The podcast has been a way for Travis and Danielle to connect with different brewers and owners across the country to promote their businesses and encourage beer fans to support the businesses in their communities.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The craft beer community is an incredibly supportive group of people. We have made so many friends through our Instagram page and have found people who enjoy the same thing that we do-beer. From podcasters to home brewers, everyone supports and promotes each other. Through the beer blog, we have also seen how supportive breweries are to people in the craft beer community. We have found many breweries are interested in being on our podcast, Market the Brew, but it can be challenging to find the time. Brewery owners have a lot on their plates and it can be difficult to find a time to hold an interview that works with everyone’s schedules. Since we are not always able to travel to breweries across the country, many interviews are held virtually so we can promote different breweries across the country and be respectful of each brewery’s time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our beer blog is called The Kleven’s Brew Tour (can be found on Instagram and Facebook) and we host the Market the Brew podcast. The Kleven’s Brew Tour beer blog features different breweries across the country and gives a glimpse of what the brewery looks like and some of the beers we would recommend. The Kleven’s Brew Tour page and the Market the Brew podcast both provide information about new breweries opening, promoting upcoming events at different breweries, new beer releases and encouraging people in the community to celebrate small businesses in their communities. The page and the podcast also offer advice on places to visit when people are traveling or planning vacations. Viewers and listeners can see pictures of breweries in different states and areas or hear about breweries they are interested in traveling to.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Taking risks can lead to great opportunities. Not every risk will lead to something exciting but you’ll never find out unless you try. Both Travis and Danielle are more introverted and soft-spoken so when they were asked to host a podcast, they had to think about the pros and cons. A lot of questions went through their heads; “Can we interview strangers? Do people want to talk to us? Will people want to listen to what we have to say?” Travis and Danielle took a risk by agreeing to host the Market the Brew podcast and taking that risk was a great decision for the Kleven’s. They found that breweries were interested in being on the podcast to promote their businesses and people were listening in to hear about the unique things happening in their community. Whether it’s a second brewery location opening, a beer spa down the street, or a beer school listeners can attend to learn about the various styles of beer, people want to know more. Not only has this been an educational experience for Travis and Danielle, but it has also led to overcoming fears and growing as individuals. Overall, the podcast has been worth the risk.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theklevensbrewtour
- Facebook: @theklevensbrewtour
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@promotethebrew
Image Credits
Liz Ann Photography
