Business
On this episode of the Business Over Beer Podcast, the Founder of Athletic Brewing Company, Bill Shufelt, joins us for part 2 of his interview, where we dig a little deeper into his business. We discuss coping with rejection as an entrepreneur and how they are filling a gap in the craft beer market for those that love beer but don't drink alcohol. Prost! In this episode: Bill burned his boat when he quit his job, but a string of rejections created some dark times. He found that physically extracting himself from the situation, from the isolation of his office, and changing his surroundings allowed him to come back reenergized. The plan was to partner with a contract brewer, but on a ski trip trip to Mt. Baker in the Pacific Northwest, he came to the realization that he needed build a brewery and control the process himself. When times get tough, don't keep it all inside, rely on your support system, and find places to talk with others like forums, guilds and with other business leaders. Nothing is ever easy in any industry, so it can be helpful to branch out more and seek community. Built the Connecticut Brewery planning for 5 years of capacity, but grew out of it in 10 months. There was a clear gap between what he was hearing from Brewery Industry Professionals and from Consumers regarding the viability and demand for a non-alcoholic craft beer. Angie's Mystery "Beer": Henry Weinhard's - Golden, CO "Draught Style Gourmet Root Beer, hand-finished with only the highest quality ingredients, including sassafras, honey and vanilla." Episode Links: Athletic Brewing Company @AthleticBrewing Asland Brewing Marks Design & Metalworks