Meet Mike Bickelhaupt | President & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Bickelhaupt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
As a successful small business owner, I do not feel any one factor contributes more to our success than all others. Our success is like a well put together sauce. Some ingredients contribute more than others, but all ingredients are essential. Success can still be attained with one or two missing components, but when everything is working together in harmony, success is realized in a shorter timeframe and with greater results.

Regarding my recipe for success, there are some things I do with every client, every interaction and every product we provide.

First, I treat people as human beings. I treat them with respect and kindness. I speak to them in a way that lets them know I too am human. I laugh, I joke, I use humorous puns when sending emails. I ask people how they are doing and have conversations in a relaxing, but professional manner. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Speak to them the way you want to be spoken to.

Second, I pour my heart and soul into providing the best customer service possible. I have gone in and completed projects on short notice, working through the night. I respond to every interaction as fast as possible, even if I cannot provide answers to all of their questions. We arrive on time with smiles in a professional manner and regardless of what is going on, we assume the role of professional. Lastly, we always make sure to thank our clients and let them know that we genuinely appreciate their business. They have to feel like you genuinely care that they are spending their money with you. Lastly, if you want to provide excellent service, you have to be reliable.

Third, I put a lot of attention to detail and craftsmanship into everything we produce. Since we are working with a temporary medium, we only have one shot to wow our clients. We sell a premium experience and want our clients to feel like they are getting more than they are paying for. Cutting corners and doing the bare minimum to put money in the bank is not a recipe for success for any business. If you do more, you will receive more.

Consider the above as a starting point for success. This has always been and will be apart of our brand and what we offer.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I worked most of my career as a Chef. Long hours on my feet in a hot kitchen, working nights, weekends and holidays. I stumbled across ice sculptures while attending culinary school and was completely mesmerized. While working as a chef, I met a guy who was a local ice carver. He was very kind and willing to show me the art of ice. I do not consider myself a naturally artistic person…I had to work at it. Failed attempts over and over. Doubts about my abilities and whether or not I could work with ice. My strength is my perseverance and desire to be successful. I stuck with it, wrecking my arms, back, knees and hands, until I was finally able to sell an ice sculpture.

I am an extremely determined individual. I am not okay with mediocrity…with doing the bare minimum. I love to work. There is something about work that provides me with an extreme sense of accomplishment. This sense of accomplishment compounds with everything I do, which leaves me wanting to learn and do more….to become better, to become bigger. Politics aside, I am a professional progressive. I have to make progress in my professional life every single day. I have to know more than the day before, or have a new idea. I have to consistently grow and mold my company so I feel we are always moving forward, always making progress.

At some point in the last four to five years, I became very analytical. I do not completely understand why or how it happened, but it did. I run into challenges at work every single day and instead of giving up, or saying the words, “I don’t know”, I open up my mind and look for answers. This has led me to conceptualize and develop equipment, file patents, or introduce new revenue streams into our business plan. Becoming analytical has strengthened my business in so many ways. It has allowed me to erect fences and put up safeguards around the business. I present myself with simulated problems, or “What if’s” and then figure out ways to address those problems before they occur. A small business owner has to know when and how to pivot and move in a different direction.

Our brand started as a side hustle for an executive chef. When I purchased the company I was barely able to make it financially. I had no employees. I had no equipment. I had no contracts. I had no leased space that I could call my own. In hindsight, the purchase was one of the worst financial decisions I have ever made. The entire business was dependent on me. I handled all of the sculpting, delivering, procurements, accounting, sales, marketing…everything. I was new to most of it. One very important quality I had going for me was the fact that I could not let myself fail. I would work 65 days straight. I would work 18 hour days. I would literally run my body into the ground to become successful. It was a very difficult time in my life and I am not sure I could do it again. I prioritized work over everything else…I had to grow, I had to make it.

By my second year of ownership, I was busy enough that I could finally lease my first space and purchase my own equipment. It was a huge risk and I still remember being terrified about it. I had a ton of financial commitments and knew if I faltered, I would lose it all. This same year I was able to hire my first part-time employee. We struggled, but we made it. The hard work was always rewarding and I absolutely loved seeing how happy our clients were with our products. In 2016 we made the leap to begin producing craft ice, a completely new revenue stream. This strengthened our brand and gave us something else to fall back on should sculpture sales ever die down. We hired more people and built the brand. We have stuck to our core beliefs of quality, service, attention to detail and craftsmanship. Fast forward to 2023 and we are the largest specialty ice company in the region, employing eight full time employees. We are introducing new revenue streams and have plans to move into new markets. We have a national distributor in place and our craft ice can be found in numerous western states in a variety of establishments. THIS is what I am proud of! I am proud of what my team and I have built. I am proud of our employees and the attitudes they bring. I am proud that we have very little turnover. I strongly believe that you need a team that sees and shares the same vision. I am happy to say that we have that team!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, I would stop off at the Bull and Bush in Glendale Colorado! They have the best beer! We used to frequent this place quite often when we were younger. We’d grab some lunch then head off to Red Rocks for a concert that evening.

The next day would have to be a day in the mountains. Grab some dirt bikes and atvs and do some serious exploring on some four-wheel drive roads. ‘Ideally, cross the continental divide a few times.

Next we would camp after a long day of riding and be sure to pull some trout from several rivers and lakes.

I’d end the week hitting some of the best restaurants Denver has to offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to my family! My parents helped shape who I am. From my work ethic to my creativity. No family is perfect and mine is not either. There were certainly some negative, unhealthy things at play during my adolescence, however, I was always shown love.

My wife has played an unbelievably huge part in my success. She has always been encouraging and supportive. She has always been there for me and even though I had become a workaholic, she trusted that I was doing the right thing for our family.

My kids also deserve some credit! They too are supportive and always proud of what I am doing. They are always excited to be involved in projects I am working on ad very excited to show their friends what I do.

Website: coloradoiceworks.com