Andrew Coplon is the Founder of Craft Beer Professionals, a national network dedicated to the growth and betterment of the Craft Beer industry and Founder of Secret Hopper, a mystery shopping and consulting company for craft beer businesses. Andrew joins Access Your Leadership to talk about his journey that’s led him to developing a community of over 17,000 craft beer industry professionals. He shares his take on the current state of the industry, what experiences he’s had and created for his craft beer peers and how leadership plays into any and all careers in this industry. For instance, what’s different about conferences/workshops that CBP organizes and hosts? What kinds of things are attendees initially hungry for and then saying about CBP events that they’ve attended? Why is connecting and building new relationships such an important part of business and leadership? What were the early years like when first launching Secret Hopper and then CBP? From where or why did you have the idea to create such a community and how receptive were people at the start? While the craft beer industry is an industry of passionate people, how does a company culture contribute to a vibe and who does that impact? How important is it to love what you do when you’re starting something new? What are ways that leaders in this industry, or any industry, can motivate and inspire their team members and employees? How do you utilize data in your leadership and decision-making process and is that the most valuable tool in leadership? What’s the difference between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship? What were some of the learnings taken from working in food services and then leading a craft beer professionals community? How does curiosity play into the way people connect, build relationships and lead? So much of what is discussed about the craft beer industry, can be applied to any leader or professional in any industry. Enjoy the episode and if you’re in the industry and not connected to Andrew or CBP, I encourage you connect!

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You can connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

Click here to connect with Andrew and learn more about Craft Beer Professionals (CBP)

Click here to check out the CBP Facebook community

You can also connect directly with Andrew at andrew@craftbeerprofessionals.org

Click here to learn more and/or purchase your tickets to the Inaugural Virginia Brewers Conference, Sept. 16-18, 2024 in Richmond, VA.

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at hakim@lakhdarcoaching.com

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.