Running a craft beverage brand is hard. Running it without a strategy is harder.
You're not struggling because your product isn't good enough. The market changed and nobody handed you a new playbook. That's exactly why I'm here.
20+ years in the beverage industry - 75+ brands assisted - Proven sales growth - 2023 BA Mentor of the Year - Allied trade partner - Public speaker - University instructor - Business journalist - Certified consultant - BA in Marketing - Strategic partner - Craft beverage brand COO
You don’t need to work harder, you need to work smarter.
In a world saturated with beverage brands, you must learn to stand out from the crowd. But when you’re short on time and resources, that can be challenging.
Strategic vision is NOT just for big brands. If you want less guesswork and more clarity, keep reading.
Sound familiar?
Your sales have plateaued and you're not sure if it's your brand, your distributor, your marketing, or all three.
You're posting consistently and it's doing absolutely nothing for your bottom line.
You don’t know if you should self-distribute or your distributor is not prioritizing your brand.
These aren't signs your brand is failing. They're signs you're running a real business in a brutal market without the right systems. That's fixable — and it's exactly what I do.
Not ready to invest yet? Start here. It's all free.
The Bottleneck
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This Is Not Your Hobby - The Podcast
No recycled MBA jargon. No sugarcoating. Just the real, messy, unfiltered problems that keep craft beverage operators up at night — plus practical strategies you can actually use.
Sales. Marketing. Distribution. Profitability. Honest guests. Sarcasm included.
Let’s Work Together
Barrel 2 Business Collective
Most popular · Starting point
Group business education built for craft beverage. Live monthly coaching, a growing library of recorded sessions, templates, tools, and a community of people who actually get it.
For your whole team. $39.99/month
No contracts
Cancel anytime
Online Courses
Asynchronous Education
Need something specific, fast? Browse the online course library for targeted skills training and you don’t even have to talk to me 😉
Ranging from:
$18.99-$499.00
Mobile app access
Self-paced
Beverage specific
One-On-One Consulting
Highest impact
Your own fractional CMO, CSO, or COO. Full or part-time strategic consulting for brands ready to make real moves. We get in the data, build the systems, and I'm in the trenches with you.
Starting at $1,500/month
6-month minimum
Serious results
Keep your tanks full, your sales strong, and your doors open
I care about the success of your beverage business.
- Over 20,000+ hours of experience in beverage sales, digital marketing, data analytics, regional management, hospitality, and chains.
- BA in Marketing
- sold and promoted multiple international beer brands
- managed multiple beverage distributors across various states simultaneously
- over 70+ beverage businesses assisted and counting
- average 20% sales growth for my client partners
- specializing in Start Ups all the way up to 20,000 BBLs
“She really knows her sh*t. I would hire her.”
Julie Verratti, Denizens Brewing Co.
About Me
Hey hey, I’m Julie. I’m a 20+ year veteran of the food and beverage industry, owning Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, a fractional consulting and educational services company, and the COO of Kick Fizz, a low-dose hemp-infused beverage brand.
I specializes in beverage sales, digital marketing, distributor management, and business strategy, helping craft beverage brands work smarter, not harder. I’m a sought-after speaker, business journalist, podcaster, instructor for multiple university programs.
I was named the 2023 Brewers Association Mentor of the Year and serve on mulitple trade association Boards and working groups, including the Brewers Association Business Development Committee, Craft Brewers Conference Selection Committee, and the North American Guild of Beer Writers. I’m also an active member of numerous craft beverage trade associations and state-level guilds, as well as a lover of all things sci-fi, connoisseur of doughnuts, and a former amateur league billiards player.
How I help craft brands grow
Boost Sales
Sales planning allows you to sell more efficiently. Learning how to sell smarter and apply repeatable processes to your sales plans is the path to increased revenue.
Differentiate Your Brand
The key to great marketing is creating connections with your target audience and then growing that brand relationship.
Improve Your Team’s Performance
Turnover is expensive. Strategic internal systems, definitive narratives and proper training can help guide your team to success.
Keep Your Brand Top of Mind
Fighting for attention with your wholesaler can be exhausting. Learn how to properly manage your distributor relationship to boost sales.
No matter how we work together, I use the same methodology - the ABV Path to Strategic Profitability
The goal of this method is to get your brand set up with the knowledge and systems necessary to build a more profitable craft beverage business for the long term and gain market share in a saturated market.
The key to success in the craft beverage space is to learn how to work smarter, not harder. The ABV Path will help you do just that.
I’m not here to “fix” you, your systems, or your teams, I want to help streamline and optimize your existing organization and teach you how to expand into the future.
The ABV Path provides you with repeatable processes for all skill and budget levels.
FEATURED IN
CLIENT PARTNERS
MEMBERSHIPS AND CERTIFICATIONS
In addition to consulting, I’m also a beverage business journalist. If you’re interested in having me write for or pitch your publication, please shoot me a note at julie@notyourhobbymarketing.com
The Bottleneck: straight talk for craft beverage pros.
Occasional emails from a beverage industry vet. Industry trends, what's actually working right now, tools to help you grow, and advice with a healthy dose of humor. No spam. Just useful stuff..
Acknowledgments and Philosophies:
I live and work on the unceded and traditional lands of the Arapahoe, Ute, and Cheyenne peoples, otherwise known as Broomfield, Colorado. It’s important for me to recognize that I have the privilege of owning and operating a business on lands that were taken by systems of dominance and oppression. It is my mission to promote a craft beverage industry that is more equitable, inclusive, and justice-focused. When organizations are designed to benefit the most marginalized communities, we all flourish and benefit. A focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is deeply rooted in the core values of my company. Not everyone agrees with my views and that’s okay, but this is how I choose to run my business and if it doesn’t sit well with you, I can direct you to someone else who might be a better fit.
Just because I recommend someone’s work or another business, does not mean that I have an affiliate partnership with them or that they know me. I try my best to make suggestions for tools, materials, and resources that will help you grow your craft beverage business, but that doesn’t mean that I specifically know or endorse that particular person or business. If I have a strategic partnership with an organization, I will be transparent about that relationship.
A lot of my work is inspired by others, when I teach something that I’ve learned from someone else, I will always acknowledge the original creator and give credit when necessary.