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

Hi Brett, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?

“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live” – Dorothy Thompson.

I believe that many fears keep us from living our best lives and although it may be extremely difficult facing those fears and defeating them, it far outweighs letting them take over our life. Thatis what this quote means to me! I love it because it makes me realize that if I didn’t overcome my fear of failure and continued to listen to others tell me I was going to fail, I would not be where I am today and have the business that I created!

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.
From the work ethic I’ve formed and my “never give up” attitude helped me land my first job as a bus boy at Cotton Patch Cafe. This job was the start of many positions I would hold. Cotton Patch helped me through college where I expanded my service industry skills into fine dining. At the end of my college career, I was fortunate enough to be recruited by a company who took a chance on a fresh college graduate. I was the the second business development manager at the company, second only to the person who started it.

Here I wore many hats and pushed myself to do things I never would have imagined I would do. Restaurants were still my calling though, and after 2 years in the corporate world I went back home to the place where it all started, at Cotton Patch but this time as a manager. I learned as much as I could and ended up taking a role in the family business in logistics/real estate, where I still am today. I always had a second income waiting tables on the weekends at fine dining establishments. Once COVID hit, I knew it was now or never to stop working for other people and time to create something for myself and my family. In August of 2020, I started Porch Swing Iced Tea in hopes of growing this into a family business for many generations to run. It was not easy but well worth all the different roads I went down. I overcame the hard times with a desire for something greater! I have learned that you can learn something from everyone and no path is the wrong path if you go down it with the right morals, intentions and want to be better. My brand Porch Swing Iced Tea came from hard work, determination, wonderful family and friends and the will to look fear in the face and overcome it. Ibelieved that no matter how many people said it wouldn’t work, it would and that was all I neededto motivate me. This brand speaks to everyone who has a dream to do something- make the leap and live the life you want!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When my friend gets into town, lets say DFW, we would head to Fort Worth for some lunch at The Cook Shack for some killer Nashville style hot chicken! Then we would explore the historic stockyards and downtown Fort Worth. Next up would be Joe T Garcias for dinner and maybe catch a movie at Coyote Drive-In while enjoying the skyline of Fort Worth. There are also a lot of great places to get drinks, especially at theunderground spots like Thompsons Bookstore. I’d make sure to stroll down the nondescript alley towards Scat Jazz lounge for some authentic jazz band sounds, too!

I am still a Denton boy, so the next day we could hit up Oldwest Cafe for some of the best omelettes North of Dallas and checkout the uniqueness that encompasses downtown Denton. Grab some lunchat LSA burger while catching some sun out on their rooftop patio, then spend a night out at East Side Social House and Lucky Lou’s for our traditional “take the pint home” special. On our way out in the morning, we would have to make apit stop at Buc-ee’s for their cheap gas, plethora of snacks and random shopping throughout the gas station/store. As we head into Dallas, we’d detour on the way to The Boiling Crab for a late lunch and the best shrimp and crab boil anywhere. If my buddy was up for it we would take the DealyPlaza tour (JFK Memorial) and check out ‘the ball’. We’d also head to Bishop Arts where we would restaurant-hop until stuffed: Zen sushi for apps and their outstanding Xalapa Roll, then to Lucia’s for the most authentic italian food you have ever tried. Then late night drinks at The Soda Bar to catch one of the most unique views of Dallas on the rooftop!

Heading into the weekend I would, of course, take them to my tea stand “Porch Swing Iced Te for an authentic mason jar sweet tea! Among the other stops would be Deep Ellum for drinks and pizza at Serious Pizza, a trip to the Arboretum and The Perot museum. As the week comes to an end, we would stop off at Katie Trail Ice House and reminisce about the great week we had together.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give my little boy Jackson and my beautiful fiance a shout out for creating this awesome little family that I love. Jackson, you bring me joy and laughter that I never have known in life and I cant wait to see who you become!Ashley, my loving fiancée, you bring light to my life and encourage and love me with all your heart and for that I am forever grateful and so lucky. My mother, you have always been there for me and encouraged me to be whatever I want to be in life. No matter how crazy my wants may have been in life, aside from telling me to make my ‘Pro and con’ list you have always made me feel that I could achieve them and I am so thankful for you. My brother Blake, you always believed in me and and have been by my side. you are a great man and I have learned all much from you.

Instagram: PorchSwingIcedTe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PorchSwingIcedTeaLLC

Image Credits
Ashley Herron, Brett Silva

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.