My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

Brewer Kelly Meyer Started a Damn Brewery at the Wrong Damn Time

Listen Later

Founder of New Braunfels Brewing Company

Episode page: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake133

My guest for Episode #133 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Kelly Meyer, the author of How NOT to start a Damn Brewery: Ten Business Lessons From The Front Lines of The Craft Beer Industry — and a podcast of that same name.

In today's episode, Kelly shares his “favorite mistake” story about starting a brewery (New Braunfels Brewing Company) at the wrong time — and how he sold that brewery ten years later. His book talks about 10 major mistakes that he made… it’s a fun read, even if you’re not interested in starting a damn brewery.

We talk about that story and other topics including:

  • Not getting out – 3 moments of insolvency… How close were you to getting out?
  • Had sold a chain of fitness centers — what made that successful? Did you think that would be transferrable?
  • 2022 – when the EIDL funds run out…
  • Why write the book? Cathartic? Warning for others?
  • Are you working as an advisor to others?
  • Was it a mistake to curse in the book?
  • “Most people… don’t want to hear the truth” — Magazines don’t want to print anything negative
  • “Mistakes are just weaknesses leaving your business”
  • Would you ever start another brewery based on what you learned the first time?
  • Tell us more about the podcast — No shortage of guests?
    • ---
    Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support
    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and SuccessBy Mark Graban
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9

    4.9

    38 ratings

    More shows like My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

    View all
    Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and Leadership by Mark Graban

    Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and Leadership

    46 Listeners

    Planet Money by NPR

    Planet Money

    30,845 Listeners

    Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak

    Coaching for Leaders

    1,462 Listeners

    Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership by Ron Pereira: Lean Thinker & Co-Founder of Gemba Academy

    Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership

    200 Listeners

    Lean Blog Audio by Mark Graban

    Lean Blog Audio

    15 Listeners

    Happier with Gretchen Rubin by Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

    Happier with Gretchen Rubin

    12,915 Listeners

    KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More by KaiNexus

    KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More

    27 Listeners

    The Daily Show: Ears Edition by Comedy Central

    The Daily Show: Ears Edition

    14,258 Listeners

    WLEI - Lean Enterprise Institute's Podcast by Lean Enterprise Institute

    WLEI - Lean Enterprise Institute's Podcast

    21 Listeners

    Before Breakfast by iHeartPodcasts

    Before Breakfast

    1,397 Listeners

    Lean Coffee Talk (formerly known as Lean Whiskey) by Mark Graban & Jamie Flinchbaugh

    Lean Coffee Talk (formerly known as Lean Whiskey)

    9 Listeners

    Connecting the Dots by Skip Steward

    Connecting the Dots

    28 Listeners

    The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

    The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

    10,613 Listeners