"The Purpose of Beer is People"

- Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery

YEAH…WHAT HE SAID

That seems to be the takeaway quote from Garrett Oliver's keynote speech last night at the Beer Bloggers Conference in Indianapolis. I would estimate it was tweeted by dozens of bloggers in attendance. It really seemed to hit home for quite a few folks.

I wholeheartedly share that sentiment. Craft brewers in almost all cases, seem to be putting the people before profits. It's rare to find that in any industry. Craft brewers are answering the call of a growing set of people who are looking for more from a beer. They seem to truly be putting the customer first.

And then there are the industry considerations. In an industry with large conglomerates having a near strangle-hold on business, craft beer is actually changing the industry and gaining ground. It's a true David vs. Goliath story. The large conglomerates are actually having to flex a bit to cope with the changes brought on by the craft beer industry. It has put an end to one of my strongest pet peeves about work- the excuse that is "that's the way we've always done it."

The other industry consideration is that in the worst economic downturn in decades craft beer is a growth industry that is putting a good amount of people to work.

But there is more to craft beer than what people want to drink and what it is doing for the larger beer industry. Step back and look at what craft beer is accomplishing.

DREAMS

It's simple enough. The systems we all grow up within in large part tell you to put aside your dreams. Why do you think it is always such an attention getter when a young star rises to the surface of our social conscience? So few of us buck the system to make our dreams a reality.

Craft beer is full of dreamers. The only ones who can start a dream are the people behind the industry. What do you dream of accomplishing for yourself or your industry?

PASSION

Now obviously it's rather easy to be passionate about a delicious beverage that makes you feel good. But it is not so easy to decide to go hundreds of thousands to possibly millions of dollars in debt to pursue a dream…a dream based upon the product before the profit. A dream that will require a significant amount of personal self sacrifice by those who choose to pursue it. More and more people everyday are tapping that passion and sacrificing nearly everything for it. This is what you are willing to do when you are acting on a passion.

It's the pursuit of a passion that is creating success for so many of them. Here's why. When you are pursuing something rooted in passion, when the rough patches hit all that is left to pull you through is passion. Sure, sometimes it can be luck or a conditional reward that buys you some time but lessons learned through passion will teach you more about yourself for the long haul.

Too many people are wasting our professional careers not feeling passionate about what we are doing for the majority of the day. Craft beer can be the muse for finding your passion.

MOTIVATION

When you are basing decisions upon intrinsic motivations (motivation from within…not money or grades) you are feeding yourself. Even the slightest attainment of intrinsic motivation provides fuel to keep going. You are more likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If all of your reward is based upon conditional motivation (external…money…grades…awards) and you don't achieve it, it pretty much takes all of the wind out of your sails. You adopt a perspective of blame. It is much harder to bounce back.

I think we see a lot of intrinsic motivation in craft beer. I think many brewers are using craft beer to express who they are as a person. The reward for them is delivering that very personal product to the marketplace, regardless of what the market thinks about it. Obviously, they do care about satisfying the taste preferences for a majority but brewers are definitely tapping into some intrinsic motivations.

People need to find their intrinsic motivators for more meaningful and longer lasting fulfillment. What do you value most in experiences? Craft beer can be your muse.

NO JUDGMENT

But here's the other great thing. There is nearly a total lack of judgment about what the fellow craft brewer is doing to his or her beer. It seems all experimentation with additives and one-off creations of styles is welcomed as a interesting challenge and a chance to expand the realm of craft beer.

There are even what would seem to be rival no-gos that are ignored in the interest of collaboration. These collaborations seem almost like a cause completely based in furthering craft beer as a common movement...individual business and interests be damned.

If there is one thought process that does more damage to fair and equal treatment of your fellow man or woman, it is judgment. If an industry can do it, then individuals can drop their guard, ignore labels, and maintain an open mind toward the interest of collective progress. Stop making assumptions.

WHAT'S MY POINT?

Garrett Oliver is right. A large profit-driven industry can prioritize being about the people within it and the customers it serves.

As a life skills coach with a passion for craft beer I have seen how craft beer can be the muse for leading people to more satisfying and fulfilled lives. Not only is it a model for what other industries could aspire to become but what craft beer is doing can be extrapolated down to stories and guidance about a more ideal human condition for individuals.

That human condition requires a dream, some passion, intrinsic motivation, a lack of judgmental thinking, and a heaping serving of self sacrifice to bring it all home.

Follow along as I capture some of the human spirit behind craft beer through life skills-based interviews with craft beer personalities.

Something I've Learned Since Hitting the Reset Button

what Stubb said...

If you are fortunate enough to be unemployed and in no particular financial strain to get right back to doing what you've been doing, take the time to really assess the next professional step you take.

I say "fortunate enough to be unemployed" because you've been provided with a chance to step outside yourself, and if you can take advantage of the break, it gives you a much clearer opportunity to assess where you are with your passion and motivation for what you currently do professionally.

As I tell everyone I speak to about one of the main virtues of life skills coaching, when you are down in your own muck and mire it is very difficult to see a way out, no matter how much you want it. So if you jump right back into that unfulfilling job, your vision will rather quickly cloud back over and you will not be able to see a way out no matter how badly you ultimately want or need a change.

Taking a few months to let the fog lift will greatly increase your chances of reconnecting with your intrinsic motivations and passions and coming up with more concrete actions to begin fulfilling them. The fog does not lift the first day of unemployment. The smoke from a fire does not immediately disappear the moment the last flame is doused. Your life is the same way. Stuff lingers. Bad stuff lingers longer. Really bad stuff can actually change your thought patterns in a very detrimental way. Now you are working from negative territory just trying to get back to some semblance of equilibrium.

Knowing what you need to change takes time. Coming up with some ideas on how to implement that change takes more time. Finally, implementation always takes longer than you planned. The point is, this kind of change is not something you can typically plan to do 3-4 times a week after work. Some can. Most can't.

In my own case, after the last layoff I decided I was quitting that last career cold turkey. I would say it took 3 solid months of only working on myself before I could really feel the fog lifting. The fog was still there in months 4-6 but it was constantly lifting. It also meant household income being cut by two-thirds! I don't live in the cheapest county in the union but I have found that we can live on a lot less than we thought. Just 6 months ago I could've never fathomed being able to live where I live without the salary I was making. It has been a real eye opener to what is possible while I continue to get much clearer everyday on the passion and motivation that will create the next professional opportunity.

When you decide to act on a passion rather than maintain the status quo, it kind of shocks you into doing what you need to do to make life much more fulfilling. Every craft beer brewer story starts off this way. Complete self sacrifice for a dream fulfilled. You don't have to become a brewer but you do have to start paying attention to that inner voice telling you that something is off.

So if you find yourself with a luxury of time, do yourself a favor and use as much of that time as you can to get back in touch with yourself before jumping right back into the rat race. You'll thank yourself if you do.

Brooks Carretta- In the Right Place at the Right Time

The Craft Beer Coach sits down with Brooks Carretta, Brewmaster of Eataly Birreria in New York City, to find out what's behind the man and his craft.

Left: Brooks Carretta

Brooks' Background
Brooks was born in Little Rock, Arkansas but spent most of his life growing up in Rome, Italy. When Brooks was seven years old his father decided to move the family there for a fresh start. Brooks grew up as an Italian in Rome and was working at a job that he was not too fond of when he was bitten by the beer bug.

He was visiting a friend in Belgium when he discovered the complex Belgian styles of beer that he likened to the wines of Italy. It was this experience that provided the spark for Brooks to start researching the history and styles of beer. He also began to research and perform homebrewing around the time a craft beer movement was afoot in Rome. He loved the idea of making his own beer in a place that did not have too many styles of beer available at the time. Being part of the passion and innovation of the grassroots movement was another motivating factor for Brooks. Outside of the unfulfilling job he had at that time, Brooks devoted much of his time and money to improving his knowledge and skills on the craft.

It was at this job that he took vacation time to do an internship at a brewery named Birra Del Borgo. He described the internship as the greatest time of his life. A short while after returning to work Brooks was offered a position at Birra del Borgo. He lept at the opportunity. As part of the training in the brewery, Brooks also worked at a beer bar. Brooks shared that this was a particularly great experience as it helped him connect the behind-the-scenes work at the brewery with the front-of-house goal of understanding the customer. He was at Birra Del Borgo just a short time when he was offered the position to brew for the Eataly / Baladin / Del Borgo / Dogfish Head Brewery collaboration in New York City.

"Becoming a brewer was pretty much the best thing that has happened in my life so far."

By the way...as if this is not already obvious...Brooks prefers beer over wine. He likes carbonation. In his words, "Bubbles make you happier anyway."

The Dream

His dream entails continuing his formation as a brewer. As he describes it, it is a discipline you never really get to the top of. There is continuous research on new beers, techniques, and technologies.

"No matter how much technology you apply to brewing...and how much literature there is...to me it still remains something magical."

For Brooks, to understand what is going on when he mashes in...the starches turning to sugar...the fact that it just happens...he finds it amazing. 

He hopes to continue to work with breweries that are project and collaboration oriented. He sees a lot of great potential with what is going on in the industry, especially at Eataly Birreria. Brooks finds it a great accomplishment to have a lot of great minds coming together to share ideas, even compromising a little to fit ideas in with other people's ideas to create something even more unique.

He wants to continue to have the opportunity to try new things and not sit on brewing the same beer day-to-day.

The Passion Behind the Dream

OK, so Brooks' #1 passion is brewing beer. That is as clear as a Bohemian Pilsner. What else?

Brooks likes food. Basically anything that is crafted.  He loves cheese. He appreciates wine but admits he would like to learn more about it. Brooks hones in on the person behind the raw materials...the person transforming the raw materials into something that makes people happy. 

Hmmm. A person? A craft? Raw materials? Transformed into something that makes people happy? 

Staying Motivated

"At the end of the day, through my knowledge and through my skill...and my craft, (my goal) is to get out to people and let them know more about beer, where beer comes from, what the craft beer community does as a whole..."

Brooks finds it amazing how competing businesses can join together and do great things. He mentions the groups and the guilds that get together with the goal of spreading knowledge and culture.

Bouncing Back / Staying the Course
Brooks' greatest challenge with brewing came at the beginning of the career. The manual labor required to perform the job had him thinking at times that it was impossible for him to stick with it. Brooks took on and surmounted the challenge by staying focused on the end result..his passion for the product he got to create. He found it very rewarding that regardless of how long the day was, or how hard the manual labor was, he got to enjoy the product that he helped create.

When he moved to New York City to start brewing for Eataly Birreria there were times early on where he felt troubled and challenged about becoming independent with all of the brewing operations for Birreria. He confides that at times he did not think he was going to make it.

"I pretty much freaked out for the first couple of weeks."

Brooks is grateful for the mentoring and knowledge imparted to him along the way. He was able to call upon that during difficult times to pull through the periods of self-doubt. Brooks did not attend any formal brewing school program so all of his learning was hands-on, on-the-job experience. This created a lot of pressure for him. He made some mistakes and got yelled at a few times. Brooks would get through it by calling upon his passion and promising to himself that he would not make that mistake again.

As far as Brooks' own outlook on mistakes...well, I'll just quote his words.

"Some mistakes have to be made to understand things. It's kind of a gateway to further knowledge."

As a mentor, Brooks puts his belief into practice. He shares that he let someone he is mentoring make a few mistakes. His goal is to talk about the mistakes afterward, in order for the person he is mentoring to fully appreciate the impact of the mistake. 

Life Perspective
Brooks struggles a bit on this one. He starts to say something then stops. He says he's afraid he's going to sound cheesy. Slowly an idea builds.

"Pursue your passion. Try to do what you enjoy in life. No matter what you are doing or where you are, you can always...at least...try to be in the right place, at the right time to make things happen."

He's hit that magical flow where an initial "I can't think of anything" becomes a wellspring of very clear and coherent thought. He keeps going. Brooks talks about immersing himself into his passion for brewing- hanging around others who shared his passion, attending events, making connections, networking, etc...

"Until you're somebody you're pretty much nobody...and nobody knows you...so nobody's gonna come knock on your door..."

Psst! He's still going. Brooks continues by sharing how he used his interest in listening to music as another way to expand his network. 

Role Model

He has great respect for the brewers in the industry but he looks outside the industry for inspiration. He mentions that perhaps it might be a musician or a writer but he's quickly off to talking about his father. Brooks talks about how his dad was struggling to achieve what he really wanted to do here in the states and decided to take a big chance with moving the family to Rome for a fresh start. Brooks shares how he himself was struggling at a certain point in his life and came to the decision point to take a chance on a new start.

"It's never too late to start off with something new."

Celebrating Success 

"I usually drink a beer."

For Brooks there is nothing more rewarding than sitting down and having a beer with someone...sharing your thoughts...and patting your back. He's not materialistic. He does not celebrate by going shopping. He does not own an iPhone or iPad. I can attest to this as I notice a plastic layer that is peeling away from his Blackberry. 

A Beer Called Wanda
If Brooks were a style of beer, he would be Eataly Birreria's Wanda. It is an English Mild Ale, with roasted chestnuts from Italy, brewed in New York City. He describes the fit for him as a lot of elements combined and brewing knowledge from different parts of the world into one product. He sees Wanda as defining his own collection of intercontinental brewing experience.

Favorite Brewing Tool or Process Step
Brooks does not hesitate to identify "mashing" as his favorite brewing process step. He seems to be a morning guy. He likes the physical challenge of mashing early in the day. It's the start of a new day and a new batch of beer. For him, it is a focal moment and his favorite part of the day.

"...and just that smell you get..of...freshly cooked oatmeal...that you get." 

So What is Brooks Drinking Right Now?
A Gaffel Kolsch. Brooks discovered his love for beer through the more traditional European styles while he lived in Rome so these are the styles he prefers. Not that he does not like the extremes that American breweries are going to but he likes a beer he can share with his mom, dad, and aunt without wrecking their palate.

Favorite Quotes

Beer- "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" -Ben Franklin

Life- - "Then you shall judge yourself," the king answered. "that is the most difficult thing of all. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true wisdom." -Antoine de Saint Exupéry

What's Next for Brooks
Very soon Brooks will be returning to the city of his youth. Brooks will be opening the first brewpub in Rome as part of the expanding Eataly Birreria venture. 

" I really feel gifted and lucky and blessed to be able to do that."

Brooks continues his legacy of making sure he is in the right place...at the right time.

The Craft Beer Coach Interview Series

Hotness on a Shelf!

As I have alluded to in past posts, I find the craft beer industry particularly well-suited for finding examples of how to lead a more fulfilling life. The industry is full of passionate, motivated, can-do, innovative, self-sacrificing dreamers. Judgment of others is virtually non-existent. The primary assumptions people make in the industry is, "Yes, I can do that."...and then they set off to do it.

Passion, motivation, goal setting, self-sacrifice for a dream, and non-judgmental thinking are basic tenants of a more fulfilling life. So many of us struggle with these skills and traits everyday. Sometimes all we need is an example of how someone else pushes through.

With that said, I am planning a series of interviews of craft beer industry people to begin to capture the essence of the palpable energy behind the industry.

These interviews will have an interesting spin to them. These are not your father's beer career interviews!

Join the blog or follow me on Twitter @craftbeercoach to be instantly updated when it is posted.

Prost!

Thanks to New Jersey Craft Beer, Samuel Merritt, and Morris Tap and Grill

Just a quick shout-out to the wonderful hosts of the Beer Sommelier training yesterday.

As someone who has decided to pursue his passion for the craft beer industry, the presentation of the training event provided me with my first significant step toward fulfilling that passion.

Samuel Merritt, of Samuel Merritt's Civilization of Beer, conducted a very informative and engaging presentation on the knowledge needed to take the Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam. You can tell he really enjoys sharing his knowledge about great beer service. I feel much more prepared to take the exam.

New Jersey Craft Beer co-hosted the event and are to be commended for giving many craft beer lovers and industry workers (and a wine guy) such a great opportunity to learn much about great beer service in one concerted session. I hope there will be many more sessions like these, if not geared solely toward taking a certification exam, then just to bring people together to talk about industry developments. And many thanks for getting the NJ craft beer scene on the radar. As I shared with Mike and Os, I did not know so much was going on in the Garden State before NJCB came along.

Last but not least, a gracious thanks to Morris Tap and Grill for providing the venue...and for feeding us delicious food and slaking our thirst. I love the restaurant's rustic aesthetic and the incredible craft beer menu. My favorite discovery was sipping the Green Flash West Coast IPA just before a bite of the Braised Short Rib. Wow! The IPA made the short rib flavor really come alive! Go and try it for yourself.

One other thing. The craft beer community is a major reason for my change in career path. I am on a personal mission to immerse myself in positivity, innovation, and passion. The craft beer industry is a "Yes We Can" industry that is blazing a trail of innovation. And never before have I interacted with such a collaborative, passionate, positive and personable collective of people.

Cheers!