Customers Love That You Love Your Job

Passion leads to a great customer experience.

For three years, Jordan Weisberg ran a brewery without the benefit of being the owner. When he took over, his profits doubled.

Weisberg is the co-owner and operator of Point Ybel Brewing Company in Fort Myers Beach Florida. He was originally hired as the head brewer. But after years of working for an owner with less experience and passion for the craft, he decided it was time to leave.

“I found out about this place opening and offered my time for free to do whatever I can to get in. It just ended up that the owner really didn’t know how to brew at the time – he just kinda faked it in,” Weisberg tells GEM Journal. “I had taken over all the responsibilities but was just tired of the way the place was being run beyond me. I could only do so much and knew I wanted to open my own place and figured I was running this place but I’m not reaping the benefits of it.”

That’s when a unique opportunity presented itself: The previous owner decided to call it quits on the beer business. He sold the place to Weisberg – overnight the business turned around. Here are a few reasons Weisberg believes his passion for the craft brewing industry shaped the newfound success – and any business can apply this belief.

Love what you do

Customers want to spend money on a company that believes in its mission. Whether you sell beer or computers, passion, and a story helps move product.

Most consumers want to purchase from brands that care about their product and believe in what they do. Information technology company Accenture polled close to 30,000 consumers from around the world.

More than 3 in 5 respondents said they “prefer to purchase products and services from companies that stand for a purpose that reflects their own values and beliefs, and will avoid those that don’t.”

As the brewer of Point Ybel, Weisberg felt forced to follow a business model he didn’t believe in. The original owner set the place up to push more beer into distribution and less on experimenting for the tasting room.

As someone with experience and love for the craft brewing industry, Weisberg knew he could make more money for the business doing the opposite.

“We’re trying to maximize our potential in this spot. It’s like a bridge between business in our taproom and making sure the tanks are always full and if not some in distribution,” Weisberg said. “We added a merchandise area and made it a real business. I rebranded the brewery and redesigned the logos. We completely overhauled the entire place – the whole business plan.”

The payoff

Customers loved the change. The newer, more experimental styles reflect the head brewer’s personality in the beer.

Weisberg installed a small canning line to label beer and sell it straight from the taproom. He’s able to use social media and local news outlets to bring awareness to the new and improved brewery.

When customers pick up cans, they’re now more likely to share with friends over social media. It ends up bringing more foot traffic to the taproom.

“For the first time in nine years I actually made money in this brewery,” Weisberg said.

Point Ybel is now one of the only destination taproom breweries in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The lesson to apply to any business: Know your business and care about what you do. Weisberg works with a small team to educate his customers and embrace the craft beer culture.

The rules and tips can be applied to any company: big, or small like a local craft brewery.

• Invest in passion
• Stick to the dream and alter the plan
• Expand when ready

Weisberg is close to ready with plans to expand from one 4-barrel brewhouse to an additional 15-barrel brewhouse and tasting room on nearby Sanibel Island.

If one small brewery can grow that quickly with an owner who cares, imagine what your business can do.