It’s summer in Vancouver and odds are you’ve noticed the proliferation of craft breweries across the city. There’s a reason they are so popular. Craft breweries offer a tempting and tasty opportunity to try new brews in interesting and engaging environments. You don’t need to look too hard to find some great career lessons from some of our favourite craft hang-outs. With this in mind, here are my top three career tips from my favourite breweries.
Grow the pie
I once asked a friendly bartender at one of my favourite breweries (and one of East Van’s first) Storm Brewery if they resented all these new young upstarts gobbling up the growler market. She said it was quite the opposite. With the advent of the “golden age of craft beer” in East Van, Storm had seen a surge in sales as local breweries referred a growing horde of beer enthusiasts to their doors. Added to that, the new upswing of business also created new opportunities for local entrepreneurs (like the beer tour guys) who’ve bussed countless thirsty samplers to their door. Same goes for your professional life. Helping everyone (including potential competitors) has been proven to actually benefit you in the long run. It creates social capital, enhances your network and benefits your employer – a situation that in the long term will benefit you. Plus it can help re-energize you, even though it may mean a bit of extra work on your part.
Find your flavour
Pop into Bomber Brewing and you’ll find a slick vintage environment. It’s a little darker insider (no windows!) in a style that reminds you of a British pub. Across the street is Off the Rails which sports brassy interior, big windows and a totally different selection of craft beers. Meanwhile, over on Main Street, Brassneck uses re-purposed wood to achieve a West Coast sustainability vibe down pat and their Kolsch brew that’s to die for. A few blocks away from Main is 33 Acres, where countless hipsters flock to because its bright white minimalism (which probably reminds them of an Apple store) where their delicious beer is served in giant jars,
Each brewery has its own signature style derived from the type, name and flavour of beers they brew. These mini-brands go a long way in helping the thirsty beer drinker make a unique personal connection with the brand. Developing a personal brand and embracing that style is equally crucial when you’re building out your own career. Just like each brewery, you want to fine your own niche and then market the hell out of it. For some great tips on developing your own personal brand, click here.
Be cooperative
Craft breweries are really good at making delicious beer and creating a focal point for community. They aren’t so good at making tasty snacks and few have the kitchen facilities to feed roves of inebriated clientele. That’s where the holy alliance with the food truck comes into play. Recognizing their gap, some of my favourite breweries have struck up terrific partnerships to fill gaps they saw a mile away. The resulting Parallel 49 / Via Tavere Food Truck partnership is fantastic –I can get their latest infusion beer AND a super tasty capicolla, arugula and mozzarella calzone at the same time. The importance of collaboration in the workplace is just as valuable as it is in my stomach. Being able to identify gaps in the team and plug those with other talented individuals is why HR recruiters get paid the big bucks. Our CTO Mike Boronowski has a great article detailing the “collaborative advantage” here.
Full creative credit goes to the lovely redhead in the photo above – Theodora Lamb – who helped brainstorm these great lessons based on her extensive craft brewery sampling experience.