This Is Not Your Hobby The Podcast is a show for craft beverage operators who are done guessing and ready to get strategic. Every episode tackles a real Bottleneck — the messy, frustrating, expensive problems that keep independent beverage brands stuck — and gives you practical ways to fix them.
New episodes every two weeks. Solo deep dives and guest interviews with people who actually know this industry.
Real problems. Straight talk. No MBA jargon.
What To Expect
The Format
Every episode follows the same structure.
We start with the Bottleneck — the specific problem. Then we break down why it happens and what it's actually costing you. Then practical tips, real-world examples, and clear next steps you can act on before the next episode drops.
The Length
Short enough for a commute. Substantive enough to matter.
Solo episodes run 20-30 minutes. Guest interview episodes run a little longer — but every minute is working. No filler, no recycled content, no episodes that exist just to hit a publish schedule.
The Guests
Every third episode features a guest expert.
All guests are tied directly into the beverage industry — operators, suppliers, educators, and specialists who have real experience with the problems we're talking about. No outside "thought leaders" who've never sold a keg.
Every episode starts with a real problem from the craft beverage world. Some come from my own consulting work. Some come from you.
If you're dealing with a sales challenge, a distributor nightmare, a marketing dead end, or a business problem you can't crack — submit it. I read every single one. If it makes it onto the show, I'll dig into it properly so you — and everyone else dealing with the same thing — gets a real answer.
Submissions are completely anonymous. Your name never goes on air unless you want it to.
Got a Bottleneck of your own?
Episodes
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Bottleneck: Social Media Marketing — The 3C Rule Stop posting into the void. This episode breaks down a practical framework for craft beverage brands that want social media to actually drive results instead of just filling a content calendar.
Bottleneck: Email Marketing Your mop is working harder than your email list. This episode makes the case for why email marketing is one of the most underutilized revenue tools in craft beverage — and what to do about it.
Interview: Doing More With Less Hunter Oetinger of Reuben's Brews joins the show to talk about building a leaner, more strategic operation — how to grow your brand without scaling your headcount or blowing your budget.
Bottleneck: Sales Rep Management Your sales rep is not a vending machine. This episode digs into what effective sales management actually looks like — and why the brands winning in wholesale treat their reps like strategic partners, not order-takers.
Bottleneck: Your Website Your website is a 24/7 salesperson — so why are you neglecting it? This episode walks through a six-point checklist for a website that actually drives revenue, plus the SEO building blocks every beverage brand needs.
Communicating With Wholesalers for Sales Success Michelle Forster, Director of Sales at Black Tooth Brewing, joins the show to break down how to widen your sales reach and boost profit without expanding your team — starting with how you communicate with your wholesale partners.
Bottleneck: Taproom Differentiation "Local," "craft," and "friendly" are not differentiators — everyone says that. Part one of a two-part series on brand differentiation: how to audit your taproom experience, define three strong USPs, and give customers a reason to talk about you.
Bottleneck: Distribution Differentiation You don't get a taproom vibe to tell your story on the shelf — you get three seconds in a walk-in cooler. Part two of the differentiation series: how to stand out with wholesale buyers and retail customers using packaging, sell sheets, and value-adds that actually work.
Brand Your Products to Actually Sell Amanda DeVries, Creative Director of Eye Candy Design, joins the show to talk about what drives consumer behavior on shelf — and the difference between branding that looks cool and branding that converts, even on a limited budget.
Chasing Profitability Part 1: Cut Expenses Margins are tight and being busy isn't the same as being profitable. Part one of a two-part profitability series: where beverage brands consistently overspend, what not to cut, and a practical 90-day framework for cleaning up your cost structure.
Chasing Profitability Part 2: Increase Sales Without Discounting Part two of the profitability series flips from cutting costs to growing revenue — sustainably. How to boost check averages, apply the Moneyball method to wholesale, and drive more dollars from what you already have without burning out your margins.
The Power of Numbers Chris Farmand of Small Batch Standard joins the show to talk financial literacy for craft beverage brands — how to increase profits, mitigate pitfalls, and actually understand what your numbers are telling you.
Chain Sales Decoded Chain sales is a system, not a shortcut — and it's definitely not a band-aid for lagging volume. This episode breaks down chain readiness, submission season timing, NIF forms, the modern SKU reality, and why one hero SKU authorization is a win worth building on.
Scan Data Decoded Scan data gets thrown around in beverage like everyone already knows what it means. This beginner-friendly episode breaks it down in plain English: what it actually measures, why velocity matters more than total sales, and how to use big-picture consumer trends without blindly copying what national data says.
Read the Room: Turning Data Into Strategy Kate Bernot of FeelGoods Insights joins the show to translate complex industry data into plain-English strategy for brands without a full analytics team. How to use macro trends to ask smarter questions — then use your local reality to make the actual decisions.
Bottleneck: What Is Hospitality? (And Why You Might Be Doing It Wrong) Everyone says they have great hospitality. Most taprooms have friendly staff. Those are not the same thing. This is the foundation episode: what hospitality actually means, why it's not customer service, and what Disney, fine dining, and The Bear can teach craft beverage about turning guest experience into revenue.
Want to go deeper?
The podcast is just one way I help craft beverage brands work smarter. Here's what else is available — most of it free.
Ready to get to work?
The podcast gives you the strategy. My programs give you the implementation — with support, accountability, and someone in your corner who's done this before.
Explore how we can work together.
I’m not taking all the credit.
This Is Not Your Hobby the Podcast is produced and edited by the lovely humans at Hi From Durango!
If you’re considering a podcast of your own, I strongly encourage you to touch base with them.