
Brian Teasley, founder and owner of Saturn in Birmingham, AL, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Saturn is coming up on its fifth year as a music venue, bar, and coffee shop, and Brian tells us how he pulled from his years of experience as both a touring musician and venue co-owner (of Birmingham’s Bottletree) to make Saturn such a success. Brian and Carrie agree that you have to think beyond numbers when measuring the success of your business, and discuss boundaries and saying no to opportunities. Brian then tells us how Saturn got started, and how the venue recovered from a fire that broke out three years into being open. Brian and Carrie then pivot to the topic on everyone’s mind: the pandemic. Brian tells us how they handled closing their doors and having to let staff go. Brian and Carrie then dive into the hospitality that Saturn extends to both performers and patrons, and what they do differently to ensure everyone has a great experience. They wrap up by discussing how to support not only Saturn, but the arts community and local businesses in Birmingham as a whole.