2 3 4 5
Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
3/27/14 5:37 p.m.

Beer-Fu, Drunken Style

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
3/27/14 5:38 p.m.

The Ale Advocacy

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
3/27/14 5:43 p.m.

Inebriant Revolution

  • If you don't use that, it's the title of my 1st album.
stuart in mn
stuart in mn PowerDork
3/27/14 6:08 p.m.

I'd try to come up with something sounding a little more professional - gimmicky names don't always stand the test of time.

Beer Baron
Beer Baron UltimaDork
3/27/14 6:08 p.m.

Hehe... "Alementary School" (totally not going to do that... although I could use that as a class title.)

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury MegaDork
3/27/14 6:09 p.m.

Haven't been on GRM for a week, and people start getting fired. Sorry to hear it Baron. This thread: TL, DR. FYI, Miller-Coors has a major brewery in Trenton Ohio. A little far from Columbus. But might be a good place to look into a marketing or distributing type of role.

dculberson
dculberson UltraDork
3/27/14 8:51 p.m.
Beer Baron wrote: I am not opposed to this idea. I've heard numerous comments that there really aren't any good beer bars around here. The idea of putting together a business plan and gathering investors is totally new to me though. I wouldn't know where the heck to start.

Dude, sucks big time that you lost your job so quickly. I would totally be up for a GRM meet-up drink-up vent-up.

It surprises me to hear there aren't good beer bars around here. I haven't been, but World Of Beer has hundreds on tap, and there are dozens of places with dozens of beers on tap.

I would suggest you work at one for a while before starting you own. It's always good to approach it with some experience. (Assuming you haven't already done that, of course...)

Good luck in whatever you do. I'd love to meet you some time!

Beer Baron
Beer Baron UltimaDork
3/27/14 9:12 p.m.
dculberson wrote: Dude, sucks big time that you lost your job so quickly. I would totally be up for a GRM meet-up drink-up vent-up. It surprises me to hear there aren't good beer bars around here. I haven't been, but World Of Beer has hundreds on tap, and there are dozens of places with dozens of beers on tap.

A Columbus meetup would be cool. I would have enjoyed the last meet and greet several weeks back, but I was out of town.

I think the specific complaint was no one with a wide range of good beer and food type places. WoB has a good beer selection, but no food.

Either way, running a bar is not something I feel competent to tackle, and am not sure I would want to anyway. Being a consultant going around to all the bars in the region to train staff and host events... that I could do.

z31maniac
z31maniac UltimaDork
3/27/14 9:36 p.m.

Do a resume similar to this

SVreX
SVreX MegaDork
3/28/14 7:45 a.m.

I like your consultant idea. Keeps you in beer. That's good.

It would also be a good launchpad for something in the future. Maintains and builds connections/ network, focuses on your strengths.

An awareness of your weaknesses is not a bad thing as it relates to consulting (ie: it is good to be able to tell clients about the importance of attention to detail, and have anecdotal examples that come from your personal experience).

dyintorace
dyintorace UberDork
3/28/14 8:54 a.m.
Beer Baron wrote: I think the specific complaint was no one with a wide range of good beer and food type places. WoB has a good beer selection, but no food.

According to the WOB franchisees here, future WOB locations will have kitchens.

As for opportunities, I would think hosting beer tasting events would be a great idea! You could travel around to local bars, beer stores, etc and provide them with an event that will draw customers in. The events could be themed (IPAs, Belgians, new American breweries, etc). The store here I mentioned (Tipples) puts on events just like this and charges $30-$50 per person, depending on what the specifics are.

That would also give you an incredible method for building a killer contact list. You would get to know the restaurants, store owners, breweries, etc.

bluej
bluej Dork
3/28/14 8:55 a.m.

I really like the Beer Baron name. Easy to remember (alliteration) without being too dumbed down or gimmicky. why fight it? 8)

Rusted_Busted_Spit
Rusted_Busted_Spit UltraDork
3/28/14 9:00 a.m.

I will nominate The Pint Room for a meet up. If you are serious I know a guy with the means/experience and is/was looking to get into something new.

bluej
bluej Dork
3/28/14 9:07 a.m.

OH, and I'd add hitting up the local deal vendors (LivingSocial, Groupon, Scoutmob, etc..) to discuss options for running some events. We recently went to a beer and bacon food pairing event that while the food was good, and beer pairing was OK, really could have benefited from someone who knew what they were doing. We ended up doing a peanut-butter making class the next night (astoundingly easy btw) and it was run by someone who really DID know what she was doing and it made all the difference.

Beer Baron
Beer Baron UltimaDork
3/28/14 9:23 a.m.
Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: I will nominate The Pint Room for a meet up. If you are serious I know a guy with the means/experience and is/was looking to get into something new.

Beer meetup sounds great. I'm down for The Pint Room.

I am totally serious about starting this consulting business. I'm nervous and need to get some more information and do some research to figure out what clients are most going to need what services. And minor details like, "how the hell much do you charge for this kind of thing?" Who is this guy you know, and what sort of thang is he looking to get into?

Lesley
Lesley PowerDork
3/28/14 9:38 a.m.

Stop feeling E36 M3ty and worthless (I know, easy to say). Sometimes these horrible things are the push to finding something that really makes you happy. Good luck!

Rusted_Busted_Spit
Rusted_Busted_Spit UltraDork
3/28/14 9:46 a.m.

In reply to Beer Baron:

I sent you a pm. As far as the Pint Room, any day late next week would be good for me.

Mitchell
Mitchell UltraDork
3/28/14 9:59 a.m.

Have you looked into the big guys? Miller bud coors? They see the market changing, and they don't want to be left behind. You have credentials and experience in some of the most well-respected craft brewers in the nation; your input probably has value.

Beer Baron
Beer Baron UltimaDork
3/28/14 10:25 a.m.
Lesley wrote: Stop feeling E36 M3ty and worthless (I know, easy to say). Sometimes these horrible things are the push to finding something that really makes you happy. Good luck!

Well, I'm still feeling kind of E36 M3ty, although that is slowly abating. I'm not feeling totally without worth at this point. Just trying to figure out what and where that worth is, and how to make a living off it.

One of the scary things is knowing enough and having enough experience to realize how little I actually know. My knowledge is far beyond the average person, but is it really far above the level of people who need it? Is it something that people need enough to pay me for? Those are the big questions.

I know a lot about beer, but it's like how folks on this board know a lot about cars.

I also am aware that my greatest skill is teaching. I can instruct better than I can do anything else. So the challenge is how to connect that skill with knowledge I have and what I'm passionate about.

Enyar
Enyar HalfDork
3/28/14 10:31 a.m.

Can't help much with what you should charge for services, other than not to sell yourself short...but if you have tax questions feel free to post/email me!

bravenrace
bravenrace UltimaDork
3/28/14 10:33 a.m.

In reply to Beer Baron:

Sounds like you need to teach people how to brew beer. There's a place in my town where they sell all the materials and equipment to make beer, and then offer classes on how to do it. Maybe something like that?

JohnRW1621
JohnRW1621 UltimaDork
3/28/14 10:35 a.m.

You've gotten good advise and sympathy. In addition, you have had time to reflect and suffer.
Now, harden the f up.

Sucks, but...

Too me, you seem to completely agree with the guy who fired you. Is this really the case?
I am not advocating lying but your story is exactly that, your version.
Maybe your strengths were not being utilized at the current place and that lead to separation?
Seems to me that maybe you were one wrung down too low in the hierarchy. Maybe you need to be in management, seriously. Maybe you are not good at completing the tasks but rather you can be good at checking the tasks or designing what the tasks should be.
The old adage of, "those who can't, teach" is not just bs. Some people are better at the how and why theories rather than tasks. I suspect you may know too much for the job you were doing. (I could be wrong.)
I would stay in the field but try to get up a wrung higher. How or what is that "heigher"? I don't know, it's your industry.

Too me you have 2 strong attributes that are impressive:
Worldly knowledge:
Trained in Germany then crafted in California would seem to be highly desirable, especially in the Midwest where both of those places are seen as "exotic".
Could also be said as trained in Germany, crafted in California then honed with a Midwest sensibility.

Youth:
This is a positive. You have schooling that is more than the guy who "learned it on the shop floor." To learn it on the shop floor would likely result in someone older than yourself.
With this youth, you are also connected to the consumer. Arguably, your own age is within the target demo of the beer companies. The secret of the business is likely to draw in some brand loyalty at the youngest age possible so as to keep that customer loyal to you as long as possible.

I have a sailboat racing friend in the marketing dept of Great Lakes. I am not sure what this could mean but PM me and I could get you her details.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
3/28/14 10:37 a.m.
Beer Baron wrote: One of the scary things is knowing enough and having enough experience to realize how little I actually know.

Easy there Socrates. These epiphanies can be demoralizing. Remember, all you need to know is just a little more than your customers and keep working on expanding the gap.

I know a lot about beer, but it's like how folks on this board know a lot about cars.

The people on this board know more about some aspects of "car-related" than people who have ASE patches all over their clean white shirts. I would be prefectly comfortable as a "grassroots motorsport consultant". Afterall - we do it for our friends every time one of them wants to build a race car or whatever... having done something once is one more time than a lot of people have ever done.

I also am aware that my greatest skill is teaching. I can instruct better than I can do anything else. So the challenge is how to connect that skill with knowledge I have and what I'm passionate about.

I would much prefer to learn something from a skilled teacher with a little mastery of the subject matter than an expert with no communication skills when it comes to non-physical things. Beer isn't boxing or driving a race car... it's knowing a lot about beer. If you can teach others to brew, or even just know more about the subject... that is worth something. ESPECIALLY to a consulting business. That is 75% communication and 25% knowing where to put the X. In the software business the shcmoozy sales guy trumps the "leave me alone and feed me under the door while I fix all your problems" engineer because suits love other suits and free golf. AND FREE BEER.

bluej
bluej Dork
3/28/14 12:23 p.m.

Listen to GPS. being a consultant for "X" is more about the service delivery, than how much you know about "X".

Beer Baron
Beer Baron UltimaDork
3/28/14 12:25 p.m.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Easy there Socrates. These epiphanies can be demoralizing. Remember, all you need to know is just a little more than your customers and keep working on expanding the gap.

No. I understand that. One of the things I learned early on in teaching is that you don't need to know everything to teach it. You just need to stay at least 15 minutes ahead of the class.

I would much prefer to learn something from a skilled teacher with a little mastery of the subject matter than an expert with no communication skills when it comes to non-physical things. Beer isn't boxing or driving a race car... it's knowing a lot about beer. If you can teach others to brew, or even just know more about the subject... that is worth something. ESPECIALLY to a consulting business. That is 75% communication and 25% knowing where to put the X. In the software business the shcmoozy sales guy trumps the "leave me alone and feed me under the door while I fix all your problems" engineer because suits love other suits and free golf. AND FREE BEER.

That's kind of why I'm thinking this direction. It really depends who my clientele is. If I'm dealing with retailers... then I'm well ahead of 99% of them. If I'm helping brewers starting up... I really don't know.

I'm also getting in touch with other people in the industry who do this sort of thing and asking the operative question, "does this actually pay?"

I'm not giving up on looking at other, smaller breweries in the region. Places that aren't at capacity right now. This was definitely a case that the job I ended up in was a step down from what I expected. I thought I'd have more responsibilities and an opportunity to help shape and direct things. Instead I was just doing daily grunt work. I was perfectly content to do it, but not excited.

I am building my confidence up and have several places I plan to check in with early next week. Wasn't going to approach them when I'm feeling mopey and negative about myself. If I don't feel positive about myself, they sure as hell won't.

2 3 4 5

You'll need to log in to post.

Our Preferred Partners
xU9mQ1S9Nz76Gb0IOoj34i5kNDaWDc05U7dRYhQOxciXqgwkXMfm8Tgt9J9lNEFm