How to Build a $800M+ Non-Alcoholic Beer Brand - Bill Shufelt

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. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5fV0aslRadzAyZhEtEs6rW?si=8515c20d9c844419 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bill-shufelt-how-to-build-a-%24800m-non-alcoholic-beer-brand/id1791782856?i=1000689341579 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? Guest: Bill Shufelt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athleticbrewing/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-shufelt-650059138/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/athletic-brewing-company-llc/ Website: https://athleticbrewing.com/ Get in touch in the comments below or head to: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/ Website: https://openresidency.com/ Contact: [email protected] Powered by IKONICK Get a 30% discount on the best motivational art from IKONICK at https://ikonick.com/openresidency (use code: OPENRESIDENCY30)