BiggerPockets Business Podcast 11: How to Build a World-Class Craft Brewing Company with Dave Thibodeau

Ever dreamt about getting paid to sit back and drink delicious beer all day? Well, keep dreaming. Yes, the beer industry is a lot of fun. But as you may have guessed, it’s hyper-competitive and demands a LOT of hard work! In today’s episode, Dave Thibodeau traces Ska Brewing’s evolution from scrappy underdog to top-100 brewery, competing against international conglomerates (all while keeping its edgy sense of humor). You’ll learn how Dave stumbled upon his passion in a book, how he and his partners bootstrapped the business by buying used equipment and sleeping in a Volkswagen bus, and how they marketed their brand’s “David vs. Goliath” attitude in a comic book. You’ll also hear how Dave and his partners expanded internationally, built a distribution arm to help other brewers (“coopetition,” he calls it), eventually scaled to 70 employees, and embraced the pain of a bad hops contract by releasing a limited-run, very hoppy brew called Bad Hop Contract. Don’t miss Dave’s advice for how to split up responsibilities among partners, and be sure to listen through to the end to hear him explain the big advantage smaller, more locally-minded businesses have when competing with international giants. Dave is a laid-back guy, who has managed to build a massive business while still remaining true to himself—so check him out in this episode, and subscribe so you won’t miss the next one!