007 - Your Business Plan: Shaken, Not Stirred
03/28/23 • 56 min
The 007 episode is a break to check in with three industry veterans about their craft beer journeys. Key elements of the discussion include how mission statements & values shine through their existing businesses and, overall, how business plans have or have not played a part in the various breweries they have been with over time. Their experiences showcase the differing approaches to business through the years, down to writing a business plan “for an audience of one”, as Sam puts it.
Mark Youngquist, Owner/Brewer, Dolores River Brewing Co.
Cofounder of Rock Bottom Breweries, the Colorado Brewers Guild, and founder of the Dolores River Brewery, Mark has been actively involved in the brewing industry for over 35 years, and is a ICF certified coach specializing in leadership, business development and entrepreneurship to those looking to explore their passions and dreams.
Mark began brewing in 1987 at BridgePort, founded the Rock Bottom Breweries in 1990, resurrected the Boulder Brewery in 1991, and was a founding member of the Colorado Brewers Guild. He opened the Dolores River Brewery in SW Colorado in 2002 and is a mentor with the BA mentorship program.
Sam Calagione, Brewer/Founder, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (& affiliated businesses), Boston Beer Co.
Sam Calagione has been focused on brewing beers with culinary ingredients since 1995 when Dogfish Head first opened as the smallest craft brewery in America. Today, Dogfish has grown into a 400+ person company and is one of the most recognized breweries in the country. Dogfish Head is based in Delaware with Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, an off-centered brewpub and distillery, Chesapeake & Maine, a geographically enamored seafood restaurant with a James Beard nominated cocktail program, Dogfish Inn, a harbor-front beverage-themed motel and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, a production brewery and distillery featuring a Tasting Room & Kitchen. Dogfish currently sells beers, spirits, and canned cocktails across the U.S. In July 2019, Dogfish Head proudly merged with the Boston Beer Company. Sam’s innovative style and collaborative spirit has earned him a reputation as one of the industry’s most adventurous entrepreneurs and brewers. Sam has authored four books and was named the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional in 2017. Sam, Mariah, and their family reside in coastal Delaware.
Mitch Steele, Brewmaster & Co-Founder of New Realm Brewing Co.
Mitch is the Brewmaster and Co-Founder of New Realm Brewing Co. in Atlanta, GA. He has been brewing beer professionally for over 34 years, studying brewing science at the University of California Davis and home brewing prior to becoming a professional brewer in 1988. Since 1988 Mitch has managed brewing operations and innovation with four different breweries, including 14 years with Anheuser-Busch followed up by 10 years at Stone Brewing in San Diego county, where he managed all brewing operations as Stone Brewing grew from a 50,000 bbl operation to one of the top 10 largest craft brewers in the country, operating 4 separate breweries in 2 countries. In 2012, Mitch authored the Brewers Publications book IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale and in 2014, the Brewers Association awarded Mitch with the prestigious Russell Scherer Award for innovation in craft brewing. In addition to his duties at New Realm Brewing Co., Mitch currently chairs the Brewers Association Supply Chain Sub-Committee, was just elected to the Brewers Association Board of Directors, and sits on the Board of Directors for the GA Craft Brewers Guild.
About StartABrewery
StartABrewery is a collaboration amongst a fun group of craft beer industry veterans who are often invited to speak at beer business / brewing education programs. Each has offered to share their knowledge and experience to support the craft beer community as a whole by helping fledgling breweries in planning.
Conceived and coordinated by Candace L. Moon, The Craft Beer Attorney, and Laura Lodge of Customized Craft Beer Programs, StartABrewery is provided as an educational resource for those dreaming of opening a brewery, those who are taking steps to make their dream a reality, and those who are opening their brewery doors and living it.
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
The 007 episode is a break to check in with three industry veterans about their craft beer journeys. Key elements of the discussion include how mission statements & values shine through their existing businesses and, overall, how business plans have or have not played a part in the various breweries they have been with over time. Their experiences showcase the differing approaches to business through the years, down to writing a business plan “for an audience of one”, as Sam puts it.
Mark Youngquist, Owner/Brewer, Dolores River Brewing Co.
Cofounder of Rock Bottom Breweries, the Colorado Brewers Guild, and founder of the Dolores River Brewery, Mark has been actively involved in the brewing industry for over 35 years, and is a ICF certified coach specializing in leadership, business development and entrepreneurship to those looking to explore their passions and dreams.
Mark began brewing in 1987 at BridgePort, founded the Rock Bottom Breweries in 1990, resurrected the Boulder Brewery in 1991, and was a founding member of the Colorado Brewers Guild. He opened the Dolores River Brewery in SW Colorado in 2002 and is a mentor with the BA mentorship program.
Sam Calagione, Brewer/Founder, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (& affiliated businesses), Boston Beer Co.
Sam Calagione has been focused on brewing beers with culinary ingredients since 1995 when Dogfish Head first opened as the smallest craft brewery in America. Today, Dogfish has grown into a 400+ person company and is one of the most recognized breweries in the country. Dogfish Head is based in Delaware with Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, an off-centered brewpub and distillery, Chesapeake & Maine, a geographically enamored seafood restaurant with a James Beard nominated cocktail program, Dogfish Inn, a harbor-front beverage-themed motel and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, a production brewery and distillery featuring a Tasting Room & Kitchen. Dogfish currently sells beers, spirits, and canned cocktails across the U.S. In July 2019, Dogfish Head proudly merged with the Boston Beer Company. Sam’s innovative style and collaborative spirit has earned him a reputation as one of the industry’s most adventurous entrepreneurs and brewers. Sam has authored four books and was named the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional in 2017. Sam, Mariah, and their family reside in coastal Delaware.
Mitch Steele, Brewmaster & Co-Founder of New Realm Brewing Co.
Mitch is the Brewmaster and Co-Founder of New Realm Brewing Co. in Atlanta, GA. He has been brewing beer professionally for over 34 years, studying brewing science at the University of California Davis and home brewing prior to becoming a professional brewer in 1988. Since 1988 Mitch has managed brewing operations and innovation with four different breweries, including 14 years with Anheuser-Busch followed up by 10 years at Stone Brewing in San Diego county, where he managed all brewing operations as Stone Brewing grew from a 50,000 bbl operation to one of the top 10 largest craft brewers in the country, operating 4 separate breweries in 2 countries. In 2012, Mitch authored the Brewers Publications book IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale and in 2014, the Brewers Association awarded Mitch with the prestigious Russell Scherer Award for innovation in craft brewing. In addition to his duties at New Realm Brewing Co., Mitch currently chairs the Brewers Association Supply Chain Sub-Committee, was just elected to the Brewers Association Board of Directors, and sits on the Board of Directors for the GA Craft Brewers Guild.
About StartABrewery
StartABrewery is a collaboration amongst a fun group of craft beer industry veterans who are often invited to speak at beer business / brewing education programs. Each has offered to share their knowledge and experience to support the craft beer community as a whole by helping fledgling breweries in planning.
Conceived and coordinated by Candace L. Moon, The Craft Beer Attorney, and Laura Lodge of Customized Craft Beer Programs, StartABrewery is provided as an educational resource for those dreaming of opening a brewery, those who are taking steps to make their dream a reality, and those who are opening their brewery doors and living it.
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Previous Episode
006 – Your Business Plan: Understanding Your Market & Creating Your Brand Identity
This session is an excellent Branding 101, including finding those differentiating elements, how to avoid the hop cones and barley in your logo (unless you grow them), and understanding how this translates to your brand family development on the shelf at retail. Indeed, looking from the retail shelf backward, the group discusses being intentional with your decisions at this stage as your foundation for growth later.
Guests:
Emily Hutto, Founder/CEO of RadCraft: Emily Hutto is an experienced journalist, marketing professional, and public speaker who specializes in the craft beverage supply chain. After years of freelance writing and authoring the book Colorado’s Top Brewers, she founded RadCraft in 2012 to serve the communications needs of maltsters, hop farmers, brewers, and distillers.
Misty Gordon, Founder/Owner of Misty Gordon Creative: Misty Gordon is a Multimedia Graphic Artist and Creative Director specializing in creating strong, visually stimulating design and providing cohesive marketing collateral across multiple platforms. After years of working in the advertising industry in various markets, Misty opened Misty Gordon Creative in 2010 to address the needs of the craft beer industry.
Julie Rhodes, Owner/Educator, Not Your Hobby Marketing: With over two decades of experience on the business side of the craft beverage industry, Julie Rhodes founded Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions in 2019 to assist small to medium sized beverage producers with their sales, marketing and distribution plans. She’s an educator, strategic business consultant, journalist, and advocate who enjoys analyzing market data just as much as skiing and sci-fi movies.
About StartABrewery
StartABrewery is a collaboration amongst a fun group of craft beer industry veterans who are often invited to speak at beer business / brewing education programs. Each has offered to share their knowledge and experience to support the craft beer community as a whole by helping fledgling breweries in planning.
Conceived and coordinated by Candace L. Moon, The Craft Beer Attorney, and Laura Lodge of Customized Craft Beer Programs, StartABrewery is provided as an educational resource for those dreaming of opening a brewery, those who are taking steps to make their dream a reality, and those who are opening their brewery doors and living it.
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Next Episode
008 – Your Business Plan: Ownership & Organizational Structure
Episode 008 covers one of the most obvious and essential initial topics in Ownership and Organizational Structure. Yes, you need to explain your decisions and the resulting organizational outline in your business plan, but the importance of this gets into tax implications, decision making for the company, succession planning, following legal guidelines for investors, etc. And as Mary points out during this episode, you need to know your partners well, because you’re going to spend a lot of time together and you need to be on the same page.
Guests:
Mary Brettmann, CPA, President, Beverage Business Builders
Mary holds an active CPA license in Minnesota and California & has 25+ years of experience in the corporate world. In prior lives, she has been a state auditor, a sales controller, an international treasury professional, a business owner and finally a craft brewing CFO for a fast growing regional craft brewery. Mary’s current mission is to teach the industry what she’s learned and to help people get to the next level in their journey. And so in 2015 Beverage Business Builders was born. Mary calls Minnesota – and now California - home, but has clients all throughout the country.
Jeff Mendel, Partner/Director, Left Hand Brewing Co.
Mendy, aka Jeff Mendel, is one of the original owners of Tabernash Brewing Co, which merged with Left Hand Brewing Co. in 1998. Mendy has been on the Board of Directors for Left Hand since that time in addition to being fully immersed in all things with the Brewers Association. He is currently on the Events Committee for the BA, was co-Founder of the Colorado Brewers Guild, has been the Director for the Institute for Brewing Studies, and Director of the Microbrewers Conference and Trade Show among other leadership roles in the industry.
Jeffrey O’Brien, Attorney/Partner, Chestnut Cambronne PA
Jeff O’Brien is a partner with the law firm of Chestnut Cambronne PA, practicing in the areas of business and real estate law. He represents several craft breweries and distilleries, helping them with financing issues, real estate matters, the launch of their businesses, intellectual property protection, operational issues and all of their other legal needs. He is a frequent commentator on issues pertaining to liquor law. Jeff is licensed in the States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota.
About StartABrewery
StartABrewery is a collaboration amongst a fun group of craft beer industry veterans who are often invited to speak at beer business / brewing education programs. Each has offered to share their knowledge and experience to support the craft beer community as a whole by helping fledgling breweries in planning.
Conceived and coordinated by Candace L. Moon, The Craft Beer Attorney, and Laura Lodge of Customized Craft Beer Programs, StartABrewery is provided as an educational resource for those dreaming of opening a brewery, those who are taking steps to make their dream a reality, and those who are opening their brewery doors and living it.
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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