Things are starting to Fermenting

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be in this position, I wouldn't have believed it. If you would have told me a month ago that things would be at this stage of planning, I would have called your bluff. So if I told you that I have 2 people on board to be a part of this brewery, would you believe me? I wouldn't either.

Last week, I met with my attorney to talk about the brewery. Usually when I call him, it's for bad news. He was already for me to start giving him the story about what happened and how I needed him to help me out. He has heard about the new venture before. He was aware that I was setting up my own company. But he didn't see the term "Brewery" getting mixed into the conversation. Much to my surprise, he was excited. He was interested. He thought it was "cool idea". Great minds think alike, because I thought the same thing.

We talked about the liquor laws in Arizona and what I needed to do. He pointed me in the direction of many, many different websites that I needed to be aware with a lot of information that I needed to know. He explained about trademarks and and articles of incorporation. And when we were done, he told me to keep him in the loop. He was interested in becoming a part of it. Everyone hates attorneys until they need one. So I think it would be a good idea to have one as part of my team.

Once I figured out what I needed to do, I put in a call to another friend. This friend is the kind of guy would feel fortunate to have. A guy you could never begin to understand the importance of. He is an advertising Guru. I wish I could tell you the circles he runs in, and if you met him, he wouldn't even tell you. But I'm sure you listened to their music, while driving a car he is associated with, on your way to a place he helped put on the map. Needless to say, he is kind of a big deal.

When I set up the appointment with him, he didn't know what I was going to talk about. I told him that I was about to start a new venture and I really wanted to pick his brain and hear his thoughts and ideas. We met at Rock Bottom so I could give him a sense of what I was going for. We spent the next 2 hours talking about mission statements, branding, emotions, people, thoughts, logos, and a thousand different things I never thought of yet. Once we were finished, I had a plan, an outline. I had a sense of direction and purpose to really get this brewery going. But what happened next is what really inspired me and made me realize that this was really going to work. "I want it". This guy who works with Fortune 500 companies, rubs elbows with the rich and famous, and parties with rock stars wanted in. He wanted to a part of my brewery.

We agreed to start meeting on a regular basis. We are going to meet again next week. Schedules permitting, I hope to bring along my attorney so we can all figure out what the next step is.

Did I mention that I have a financial guy, and my first venture capitalist? I didn't? Well I think I will save that for the next post. There are going to be a lot more now. So wish me luck.

-Cheers!

Brewery Update

BREWERY UPDATE

Things have been very hectic lately. Over the last month or so, I have been working constantly on my plans for a brewery. So much that there is a constant buzz in the air. Friends, family, and even acquaintances have been asking me about it. Most want to work for me, but most want to be a part of it. They are offering to help out, advise, supply labor, and offer money. Even my Doctor was excited about it. That has to be a good thing.

Lately, I have found myself visiting a local brew house or pub three or four times a week. I've been reading more now than I ever have. I've been spending most of my free time looking at blogs and forums, reading books and magazines, and listening to podcasts. While I'm at work, I listen to audio books about breweries and beer. I think I'm on the verge of obsession.

When I first wrote my blog post about starting a brewery, I knew deep down that I could do it. However, I wasn't sure if I would really ever get if off the ground. I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work. And I was worried about the people who would doubt me and dismiss the idea. How was I going to pull it off? Many others have tried and failed. I didn't want to be one of those people.

So I decided the best way to be successful was to learn from the ones that did it. I needed to immerse myself in the beer culture. I needed to stop dragging my feet and just start doing it. So that's what I did.

Without going into boring detail, I will tell you that I have talked to my attorney, met with my advertising agency, started the paperwork for trademarks, and started building my first production brew system. Things are starting to roll. Wish me luck.

-Cheers.