How to Build a $800M+ Non-Alcoholic Beer Brand
Guest: Bill Shufelt – Co-founder & CEO of Athletic BrewingApple Podcasts Spotify
In this episode, I sit down with Bill Shufelt, co-founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing, to discuss his journey from Wall Street to redefining non-alcoholic beer. Athletic Brewing has grown from an idea to a $800M valuation, disrupting an industry and carving out a new market in craft brewing.
We talk about:
- The bold decision to leave a lucrative hedge fund career for entrepreneurship.
- The science and innovation behind brewing non-alcoholic beer.
- Overcoming early rejection and building a loyal community.
- Lessons on scaling, fundraising, and maintaining a strong company culture.
Bill’s story is an inspiring testament to taking calculated risks and staying true to a mission. Whether you're an entrepreneur, craft beer enthusiast, or just curious about the non-alcoholic beverage revolution, this episode has something for you.
Tune in to hear how Athletic Brewing is making waves while staying grounded in community impact.
Chapters:
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:32 Leaving Wall Street
- 02:12 Discovering the Need for Non-Alcoholic Beer
- 07:28 The Importance of a Strong Support System
- 10:30 Quitting a Stable Job
- 15:09 Finding the Right Co-Founder: John Walker
- 19:11 Launching the First Product
- 23:55 Crafting Company Culture
- 26:14 Working With the Right People
- 27:50 Meeting Investors
- 31:40 Launching, E-Commerce and Retail Distribution
- 33:02 The Keys to Building Community
- 36:40 Sober October, Dry January, Market Timing
- 41:00 Navigating Fundraising
- 42:52 Mistakes While Raising
- 45:29 Scaling Manufacturing
- 49:38 Advantages of Vertical Integration
- 51:23 Tackling Supply Chain Issues
- 53:25 Communicating Effectively With Investors
- 55:03 Evolving as a CEO
- 56:20 Hiring the Right People 01:00:06 Expanding Internationally
- 01:06:28 Giving Back Through Two for the Trails
- 01:11:13 Evaluating Investments
- 01:12:32 The Name
- 01:13:36 Lightning Round
- 01:18:28 Reflections / Learnings as CEO
- 01:20:47 Best Advice
- 01:21:35 Favorite Podcast
- 01:23:35 Giving Flowers to an Entrepreneur
- 01:25:11 How Big Can Athletic Be?
Get in Touch:
- Instagram: @openresidency
- LinkedIn: Mark Mastrandrea
- Website: https://openresidency.com/
- Email: info@openresidency.com
About the Guest:
- Instagram: @athleticbrewing
- LinkedIn: Bill Shufelt / Athletic Brewing
- Website: https://athleticbrewing.com/
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