June 11, 2019

Chad Phillips, co-founder of Highpoint Brewing Co.

46 minutes

About this episode

This week’s featured founder is Chad Phillips, co-founder of Highpoint Brewing Company in San Dimas, California. This episode combines a few things that I love dearly, small business and creativity. When it comes to beer and brewing, I don’t think many people would have thought about the creative side of it all. Chad will discuss just how personal beer making is to him and how his beers are a personal expression of his creativity.

In this episode, you will hear how important it is to maintain long-term focus even if it means you’re starting out with immediate health issues. You will learn, firsthand from Chad, just how critical it is to develop a thick skin when creating a product that is susceptible to public opinion. And lastly, this episode also features a more tactical conversation as we walk through the launching of a brewery, which is fascinating.

Every single founder we have had on The Startup Story has someone in their family they point to as an entrepreneurial influence. Chad’s story is no different. So, here is Chad Phillip’s startup story.

In this episode you’ll hear

His childhood and upbringing, watching his grandfather run his own business (a machine shop) and how his interest in engineering was born

His journey to becoming an engineer, going to college, what he did after he graduated, and how he climbed fast in one of his first jobs

How chronic migraines plague him for many years following college and how the talk of permanent disability gave him a push to start a company and go out on his own

Some of the things that went through Chad’s mind when he thought of entrepreneurship

His love for welding and how it is what drove the idea of handcrafting something as a business, and how that led him to homebrewing.

Learning to homebrew, what he did and how long it took him before he got a batch that was palatable

Sharing his homebrew with the public for the first time, what it was like, and how he went about testing public reception of his own beer before he committed to opening up a brewery

How and when he decided to open up a brewery, plus what went through his mind as he was processing this realization that he was actually going to do it

Dealing with doubt, and the first steps he put into motion to make his vision a reality

The business of running a brewery: who, what, how, and when

Growth and growing of Chad’s brewery business, plus what’s next

“For me, brewing our beers is an expression of my creative talents. It really is more personal

than many would think.”

—Chad Phillips, Highpoint Brewing Co.

Resources from this episode

Connect with Chad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-phillips-b66aa2b7/

Highpoint Brewing Co. website: http://highpointbrewco.com/

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Full Episode Transcript

Special Guest: Chad Phillips.