“I’d be hard pressed if you work with another brewery with our same business plan.” “I’m curious how many breweries you work that have the same structure as us, I bet not many.” “We are unique.” MODEST ANNOUNCEMENT: When it comes to the business of your brewery, YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. Hard pill to swallow? […]
True story. I was in a Quarterly Huddle* with Rob and Rita last week when I noticed something interesting. They sell, on average, around $27k in merchandise a month. Yep, you read that correctly, $27,000 in merchandise per month. Important note: No online sales, no DTC… this is merchandise sold out of a single location.
Create Your Ecosystem Read More »
As you know I frequently talk about making decisions based on numbers. I strongly believe in this philosophy for a business to thrive and grow. The alternative to making decisions based on numbers is making decisions based on emotions, or gut feeling. The problem with making decisions based on emotions is that when we access
What If You Do Nothing? Read More »
This week I am in Sheridan, Wyoming attending the WYO Brewers Summit. So happy that we are meeting in person again. I was invited to speak at the two day conference and my talk is polished, ready to offend everyone in the room at least once. My wife reminds me all the time that my
Cheers to 11 years! Last Friday SBS turned 11. Wow, it’s been 11 years of helping breweries and distilleries. Another cool thing happened last week, I got to talk about margin versus markup. Before I talk about the differences between the two, let’s talk about YOUR gross margin in wholesale. Do you know what your
I sent my 5-year-old to kindergarten in a brewery tee-shirt… (BY ACCIDENT) Poor guy, look how cute he is. Anyways, the teachers did not think it was funny. They didn’t write him up, but they did send a note home, citing the code of conduct. I take 100% responsibility for this and guess I need
I Sent My Kid To School In A Brewery Tee Read More »
What’s the deal with the corn nuts? Back when I was in high school, Conan O’Brien released a sketch where they were casting a replacement for Jerry Seinfeld. You can watch it here. Done wiping your tears? Why are breweries quickly shifting to a brewpub model? The pandemic has accelerated this, but even before the
What’s The Deal With The Corn Nuts? Read More »
Fresh off my trip to CBC and… expansion season is here! Wow, it’s really happening. AS IT SHOULD. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th locations Kitchen build-outs Food partnerships Here’s the deal. As a business, all of your vulnerabilities have been exposed… And you’ve survived. The past 2 years have given you time to reflect on your
I’m back, friends! Fresh off a 9-month hiatus from writing to get the podcast going, and while the podcast has been a blast, I miss writing. And I’m curious, do you also feel like your life is moving in fast forward? Being a father of three I regularly hear: “Cherish these moments. The kids, they
Progressing, Not Perfecting Read More »
In years past, Chris has kicked off each January with a new set of “crystal ball” predictions for what the next year might hold. And to his credit, for the most part he’s been right on the money . But you may have noticed the conspicuous absence of said predictions this year. That’s intentional. Sure,
Failed Forecasting And How Owners Actually Make Decisions Read More »