and as '24 draws near,
there is more to this craft
than what we call beer.
With 12 months to recap
and new adventures to map,
there are a final few nuggets
we hope you'll unwrap.
Four Fridays of info you won't want to miss,
looking back at our year, we'll reminisce.
But what better way to start this fun bliss
than with the man, the myth, the legend: Chris.
Chris recaps the first half of the year, including The Long Game Roadshow, SBS's series on Leadership, our panel at the Craft Brewers Conference, and The Future of Craft.
of our 'SBS Chris-mas Special' treat.
Two more Fridays to go; next week expect
a podcast episode where we internally reflect.
And then our final Friday to close out the year: 2024 Chris predictions—hold our beer.
Chris recaps the second half of the year, including Unlock Code: PR0F1T, our relaunching of The True Craft Podcast, Tom's (keeping) profit bookkeeping series, and our talk we brought to guild state conferences this year: "Where did the cash go?"
a podcast episode for your ears to hear.
But in case you'd like a summary to read,
you're in the right place—proceed.
Believing in What You Do
By Keaton Jadwin
This week’s episode of The True Craft Podcast is all about looking back at 2023 through the lens of Small Batch Standard.
What have been our major investments? How have we developed our team? What changes have we made to Compass? And, perhaps most importantly, how has our 2023 served the craft industry?The conversation started with a question from Katy: “When you think about 2023, what pillars stand out in your mind as a leader in the company and how we have approached growth at SBS?”
Chris took a moment and responded:
Where I am and where my head is, we needed someone younger and more ready to drive the business forward and thoughtfully put in our growth plans and execute them."
Chris makes it clear that this leadership change was not because he was “tapped out” at the beginning of 2023, but rather, knew he wanted someone else without a “beating drum and 13-year bias” to lay the foundation for growth at Small Batch Standard.
The conversation continued on to breakdown some of the 2023 SBS internal investments. Katy and Chris chatted a lot about each team: Accounting, Tax, Consulting, and Brand. The overall intention this year was to allow for team growth and development:
We’ve been able to expand the services we offer to clients. The autonomy has allowed the team to build a deeper expertise."
The conversation shifted when Katy asked about what brewery owners are likely thinking when listening to this episode—an episode that highlights the successes of our company in 2023.
Chris thoughtfully responded:
As the conversation continued, Katy and Chris unpacked some of our investments with Compass:
About mid-year, Tom took it to the back office and worked with the team to strip it down and rebuild it around what we were seeing happening in the industry.”
This rebuilding, Chris says, was necessary because SBS had uncovered that a super detailed analysis of a brewery’s Business Units is of the utmost importance in today’s market. This rebuild would also implement feedback from clients—individuals who are directly impacted by its reporting.
The new version of Compass would then lead into guild state conference season in the Fall and inspired SBS to develop their talk, “Where did the cash go?” that focuses on learning the methodology behind the analysis and empowering breweries to use this knowledge to their advantage. The talk has been well-received at seven different conferences thus far with more to come.
So, what’s next in 2024?
Chris shares two main priorities:
2. Exploring, at a more granular level, the Brewery Business Units. “We could just look at taproom and wholesale. But what makes that unit tick? Is it a SKU? A style? Taking this a step further to be even more actionable.”
And when it comes to the industry at large, SBS’s goal is to help breweries grow and keep more profit. But, as Chris states, “We want to do that by being as direct and respectful as possible.”
Sometimes a direct shot of truth serum is unsavory and unwelcome. But SBS cares a lot about the industry they serve. And, as Katy says, “Beating about the bush isn’t helping anybody!”
As the conversation winded down, Chris flipped the script and asked Katy about her experience with Small Batch Standard, having just celebrated her 1-year anniversary this month.
Although it’s been a journey—one that she most definitely loved taking, she shared one final nugget that wraps up SBS in a nutshell:
“It’s really exciting to believe in what we are doing. It makes it easier to be on the Sales and Brand team. I don’t have to pretend [to others] that we are going to be of value because I truly believe we are.”
but there is one more thing for you to see.
Thank you for following as the new year nears,
we raise a glass to you and yours—cheers!
Chris shares his six predictions for craft in 2024.
