Hardware Podcasts

Athletic Brewing Company: Bill Shufelt

How I Built This · 18 Nov 2024 · 1h 04m

What this episode covers

Bill Shufelt, founder of Athletic Brewing Company, explains how he pivoted from a finance career to reinvent non-alcoholic beer after quitting alcohol to improve his health. He details the struggle to find a brewer, eventually partnering with John Walker, and the decision to build a capital-intensive brewery rather than using contract manufacturers. Shufelt describes his grassroots marketing strategy of sampling at athletic events and his wife's critical support during early funding rejections, leading to a company now valued at $800 million.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Athletic Brewing Company, Whole Foods, Total Wine
Also
John Walker, Arsenal

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 30m

    #179 - Bootstrap Heroes: Hazard's Hop Water, SWAIR, Gourmend Foods

    Host Daniel Scharff interviews Ryan Hansen of Hazard's Hop Water, Carrie Sporer of SWAIR Hair, and Ketan Vakil of Gourmend Foods about bootstrapping their consumer packaged goods brands to six-figure revenues without venture capital. Hansen details scaling a non-alcoholic hop water brand to $500k by targeting golf courses and breweries, while Sporer explains how SWAIR reached $350k in revenue by focusing on fitness enthusiasts and managing co-founder dynamics. Vakil shares how he built Gourmend Foods to nearly $850k in revenue by reformulating low-FODMAP broths and leveraging online sales and dietitian networks.

    Starting a product companyPricing, margins & unit economics
    5 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 1h 03m

    #124 Beer and Non-Alc Industry Trends from Pioneering Craft Brewer Dan Kopman

    Dan Kopman, co-founder of The Saint Louis Brewery (Schlafly) and former CEO of Heavy Seas Beer, discusses his journey from early microbrewing to his current role as an academic and policy advisor. He details the strategic decision to focus on local taproom sales for Schlafly to avoid complex distribution channels, and later the challenges of scaling into retail with partners like Schnucks. Kopman analyzes the shift in ethanol share from beer to spirits in the US, driven by policy changes and marketing, and highlights the rapid growth of the non-alcoholic beer market as a key opportunity for brewers.

    Retail, wholesale & distributionPolicy, trade & tariffs
    8 chapters

  • People of Packaging · 31m

    259 - It's definitely NOT beer with Not Beer founder Dillon Dandurand

    Dillon Dandurand, founder of Not Beer, explains how he launched a zero-carb, zero-alcohol sparkling water in Dallas, Texas, leveraging his background at Brazi Bites and Jack Black. He details the operational challenge of sourcing a full truckload of 155,600 tall boy cans to meet minimum order quantities, opting for a turnkey manufacturer to simplify logistics. Dandurand discusses the brand's humorous packaging design, which mimics beer aesthetics, and his strategy of using sampling and influencer marketing to drive retail distribution in Texas before expanding nationally.

    Packaging designDirect-to-consumer & e-commerce
    8 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 28m

    234: From Pro Football to Craft Beer with Katie and Brandon Fields of Inside the Five Brewing Co.

    Brandon and Katie Fields, founders of Inside the Five Brewing Co., discuss their transition from the NFL to running a three-location craft brewery with 120 employees. Brandon shares the origin story of their beer 'Snap to the Face' and how he applies a perfectionist mindset from his football career to brewing. Katie explains the challenges of shifting from a competitive sports mentality to managing a small business team, emphasizing the importance of not forcing a brand identity and focusing on internal performance over competitors.

    Marketing & brandLeadership, teams & culture
    6 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 34m

    Founder Feature: Ranwei Chiang of Abstinence Spirits

    Ranwei Chiang, CEO of Abstinence Spirits, discusses building a botanical-inspired non-alcoholic spirit brand rooted in South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom. She details the product line, including the Cape Floral gin, Cape Malt, and the hero Blood Orange Aperitif, which won a 2024 Shelfie Award. Chiang explains the company's e-commerce-first strategy, grassroots marketing through tastings, and the recent pivot to in-house warehousing to maintain flexibility and customer experience. The episode covers their current crowdfunding campaign on Funder, team structure, and the financial discipline required to scale in the emerging NA category.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceMarketing & brand
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.