The Mixie Chix, a horse trailer transformed by local family into mobile bartending service
Plus, Burleson spraying for mosquitos after West Nile virus-positive test and a look at upcoming Indendepence Day events
Sponsor: Mr. Allard’s Neighborhood
Mr. Allard’s Neighborhood is a podcast about Burleson and its businesses, nonprofits and government. Check out the latest episode.
Week Recap:
The Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce held its monthly “Business Over Breakfast” event Tuesday at Russell Farm Art Center.
“As always, Business over Breakfast was a blast,” BACC communications and government relations coordinator Jessica Pounds said. “We had a lot of new members join us for their first time and it was great learning about their latest projects and business ventures. This event is truly networking at its finest and we look forward to learning more about each other next month.”
Burleson environmental services was notified two mosquito traps tested positive for West Nile virus Thursday.
Sponsor: Cambridge Caregivers
Contact Cambridge Caregivers for warm, compassionate care for seniors and others.
Coming up:
Andrew Sevener will perform for “Hot Sounds of Summer” at 7:30 p.m. at Mayor Vera Calvin Plaza.
The City of Burleson will spray for mosquitos from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday in Zones 1 and 7 after Burleson environmental services was notified two mosquito traps tested positive for West Nile virus Thursday.
Burleson Lions Club will hold its Independence Day parade Tuesday at 9 a.m. at Mayor Vera Calvin Plaza.
Local Life Magazine will host its “Party at the Pavilion” event Tuesday at 5 p.m. at The Standard at Chisenhall.
Burleson parks and recreation will hold its “Red, White & BTX” event Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Chisenhall Fields. The event will include the “Hot Sounds of Summer” finale, featuring a “Best of Burleson” lineup of Texas High Road, Andrew Dolan and Jesse Jennings, at 7:30 p.m. and a fireworks show at 9:20 p.m.
Sponsor: O’Brien Party Rentals
Contact O’Brien Party Rentals to get $50 off (O’Brien Party Rentals is a business owned by Rachel and Samantha O’Brien, not by Cody O’Brien).
The Mixie Chix, a horse trailer transformed by local family into mobile bartending service
A mobile bartending service that’s served drinks at major events in Burleson operates out of a horse trailer transformed by Rachel and Samantha O’Brien and Shannon Vaughan during the covid pandemic.
Rachel and Samantha are a Burleson mother-daughter duo venturing into business together, and Vaughan is their business partner and Rachel’s brother.
Samantha is honored to be part of a business venture with her mom, which allows them to spend more time together, or, as Samantha said, “stuck up my mom’s butt.” Mixie Chix, the business venture she’s part of, was created during the pandemic, which Samantha said was both the safest and riskiest thing to do at the time.
Rachel is my mom too, Samantha’s my sister, and Shannon is my uncle.
Interviewing and writing about my family is something else. I’m proud of them for what they’ve done together with Mixie Chix, and I think their story should be shared.
It started when a bat bit someone in China and turned them into a vampire, or whatever the latest theory is
.
“Mixie Chix was born out of covid and me discovering TikTok,” Rachel said.
Without much to do or much job security during the pandemic, Rachel and Samantha were thinking of ways to stay busy and provide for their families when Rachel was inspired by a TikTok of women serving drinks from a “tap truck” in New York.
Although Samantha felt like opening a business during covid was both safe and risky, a mobile bartending service was especially risky because of the restrictions against and fear of social gatherings, Rachel said. Rachel was worried about whether the business would take off.
This wasn’t Rachel’s first business venture though. Between knitting hats and scarves, painting wine glasses and shoes, driving for Uber and more, it seems she’s always been involved in a business of her own outside of her day job. Rachel’s work ethic influenced Samantha, and she feels honored to be in business with Rachel, Samantha said.
“Mom has a can-do attitude, and nothing’s gonna get in her way if she really wants to do it,” Samantha said. “And I try to keep that in my life and also instill it into my children’s lives.”
It means a lot to Rachel to know her work ethic is her legacy.
Even with her can-do attitude, Rachel doesn’t think the business would be the same without Vaughan’s help. Vaughan became a part-owner of Mixie Chix through “sweat equity;” he transformed the 1985 horse trailer into the mobile bar. He also is usually the one who hauls the trailer, and his ability to maneuver it into tight spaces allows the business to book more events, Rachel and Samantha said.
Although transforming the trailer was harder than they thought it’d be, Vaughan said it was a lot of fun.
The Mixie Chix have been having fun learning from the challenges of the business since they started. Vaughan said their attitudes have changed since they started, and they’ve figured out ways to work around challenges.
“We’re not as hyper focused on every little detail now,” Vaughan said. “It’s becoming more old hat I think. We’re just more comfortable with it.”
With the trio enjoying owning their own business, even if its just a side hustle for now, they’ve ventured into other businesses since opening Mixie Chix. Vaughan launched his own gellyball party rentals service, “Bande Battles,” shortly after Mixie Chix’s first event, and Rachel and Samantha opened “O’Brien Rentals LLC,” a rentals service specializing in inflatables in May.
O’Brien Rentals LLC has been a physically challenging business for Rachel and Samantha, they said, but they’ve been able to work through the challenges together.
“I’ve also found out that if you just have the motivation and the willpower to do it, you’d be shocked at what you can accomplish,” Samantha said. “I did not think I could roll that damn bounce house.”
Ultimately, Rachel, Samantha and Vaughan hope to grow their businesses until it’s their full-time jobs, and working key events in Burleson like the “Hot Sounds of Summer” concert series and the Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce “Wild Wild West Gala” has helped them become more well known.
The Burleson Buzz is offering free ad space for a limited time.
