Summary

In this episode of the Ignite podcast, Doug Jones interviews Josh Council, co-founder of Good Robot Brewing. They discuss the journey of founding the brewery, the challenges faced in the startup phase, and the innovative marketing strategies that helped establish the brand. Josh shares insights on community building, embracing mistakes, and the unique culture of Good Robot Brewing. The conversation also touches on the co-packing industry and how it supports competitors in the beverage market. In this conversation, Doug Jones and Joshua Counsil explore the dynamics of the craft beer industry in Atlantic Canada, focusing on collaboration, sustainability, and the challenges faced by microbreweries. They discuss the importance of marketing and sales strategies, the impact of COVID-19, and the need for innovation in product development. Joshua shares insights on consumer access and distribution challenges, as well as valuable advice for entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of the beverage industry.

Takeaways

Good Robot Brewing was founded by three engineers looking for community.
The founders embraced their quirky identity to stand out in the market.
Innovative marketing strategies, like silent reading events, helped attract customers.
The brewery faced significant challenges, including financial hurdles and regulatory issues.
Embracing mistakes, like the Condom Gate incident, became a part of their brand story.
The importance of community and inclusivity is central to Good Robot's ethos.
COVID-19 forced the brewery to pivot to e-commerce and wholesale.
Co-packing allows Good Robot to support other beverage brands in the region.
The brewery's culture balances fun with the seriousness of business operations.
Josh emphasizes that understanding the consumer is key to success. Collaboration is essential in the beverage industry.
Microbreweries face sustainability challenges as they grow.
COVID-19 has reshaped the craft beer landscape.
Sales and marketing are crucial for brewery success.
Expanding into new markets can be risky for craft breweries.
Innovation in product development is key to staying relevant.
Consumer access to products is often limited by distribution channels.
Entrepreneurs should focus on their values during tough times.
Building strong relationships is vital for business success.
Maintaining a positive mindset is crucial for overcoming challenges.

Sound Bites

"We had about three big PR incidents"
"We created a Valentine's Day event"
"We learned that you're not your consumer"
"You have to be more collaborative."
"The challenge becomes sustainability."
"We're obviously feeling it as an industry."
"You really got to hustle to grow."
"You have to balance those two."
"Act on your values, not on your feelings."
"You can do some pretty remarkable things."
"Stay on the positive side of things."

Chapters

00:00 The Journey Begins: Founding Good Robot Brewing
03:05 From Engineers to Entrepreneurs: The Founders' Story
06:23 Building a Brand: The Good Robot Identity
07:54 Overcoming Challenges: The Brewery Startup Experience
11:09 Innovative Marketing: Attracting Customers
14:15 Embracing Mistakes: The Condom Gate Incident
19:43 Balancing Fun and Seriousness in Business
26:47 Co-Packing: Supporting Competitors and the Industry
31:10 Collaboration in the Beverage Industry
32:02 The Rise and Challenges of Microbreweries
33:26 Sustainability and Growth in Craft Brewing
35:59 Sales and Marketing Strategies for Success
38:02 Expanding Beyond Local Markets
41:06 Innovation and Product Development in Craft Beer
43:57 Consumer Access and Distribution Challenges
46:57 Advice for Entrepreneurs and Mindset Development

In this conversation, Doug Jones interviews Keith Jones, an entrepreneur who shares his journey from the corporate world to creating impactful social initiatives. They discuss Keith's involvement in Bumrun, a creative campaign to raise awareness for colon cancer, and how his upbringing influenced his entrepreneurial spirit. Keith elaborates on his transition to social impact work, the founding of Brand Van, and the importance of crowdsourcing creativity for charitable causes. He emphasizes the significance of leadership, taking action, and focusing on making a difference in the world.

takeaways

• Bumrun creatively addresses colon cancer awareness through humor.
• Upbringing plays a crucial role in shaping entrepreneurial mindset.
• Transitioning from corporate life to social impact can be fulfilling.
• Brand Van aims to uplift charities through design and creativity.
• Crowdsourcing can effectively mobilize creative talent for good causes.
• Leadership involves inspiring others to take action.
• Focus on fixing one thing to make a difference.
• Every action taken can lead to further opportunities.
• Creativity should be leveraged to solve societal issues.
• Community engagement is essential for impactful branding.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to Keith's Entrepreneurial Journey

01:27
Foundational Influences and Early Creativity

04:25
The Corporate Pivot: A Life-Altering Decision

10:43
Launching Brandvan: A New Purpose

17:24
Building a Community of Creatives

21:55
Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

25:02
Innovative Branding for a Serious Cause

29:04
The Future of Social Impact Organizations

32:50
Creative Inspirations and Recommendations

• In this final episode of Season 3, Wade chats with Richard Piotrowski who is the publisher of Brewers Journal Canada. He is also the newly hired Executive Director of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Richard describes himself as a Serial Entrepreneur, always looking for exciting opportunities.
• The story of his discovery of the Yarmouth area and his family’s decision to settle into Rural life here in Southwestern Nova Scotia makes for great listening.
• If you want to find out more about Brewers Journal Canada visit their website brewersjournal.ca
• You can follow the YAS Drinks Fest on Facebook and Instagram
• Follow the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce on their website yarmouthchamberofcommerce.com and on Facebook
• To find out more about Rural innovation and what Ignite does, check out IgniteAtlantic.com. Ignite can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
• Follow Wade on Linkedin and on Facebook.

• Malcolm Seaboyer is a marketing manager working in tourism and on the side – and strictly voluntarily – works with a great group of dedicated volunteers on the Y-CON Gaming & Comics Convention.
• Y-CON has shown enormous growth since its beginnings in 2019, enduring through the pandemic, growing steadily. and this year it has outgrown its original location with upwards of a thousand participants expected to take in the 3 day event in Yarmouth.
• To find out more about Y-CON and their events visit their website yarmouthcon.com
• Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, X, Twitch and YouTube.
• To find out more about Rural innovation and what Ignite does, check out IgniteAtlantic.com. Ignite can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
• Follow Wade on Linkedin and on Facebook.

• Dr. Daniel Rasic is a practicing psychiatrist focused on treatment of service members and first responders.
• Virtual Hallway is a game changer for Rural areas.
• It enables GPs and nurse practitioners to connect with specialists quickly, getting consultations done in hours or days that previously would take months to happen, helping to eliminate waitlists and speed up much needed patient care.
• To find out more about Virtual Hallway visit their website Virtual Hallway.ca
• Follow Virtual Hallway on Linkedin and follow Daniel Rasic on Linkedin too.
• To find out more about Rural innovation and what Ignite does, check out IgniteAtlantic.com. Ignite can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
• Follow Wade on Linkedin and on Facebook.

• Dr. Karen Cross of MIMOSA Diagnostics is an award-winning scientist, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and an entrepreneur.
• The MIMOSA pro is an amazing innovation - a handheld, portable imaging device that provides state-of-the-art imaging accurately and non-invasively, enabling doctors anywhere to find wounded damaged tissue and vascular issues.
• This has huge implications for those in rural areas or anyone not close to medial centres with Diagnostic Imaging equipment
• To find out more about MIMOSA visit their website www.mimosadiagnostics.com and folloe them on Linkedin
• Follow Dr. Cross on Linkedin too
• To find out more about Rural innovation and what Ignite does, check out IgniteAtlantic.com. Ignite can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
• Follow Wade on Linkedin and on Facebook.

• In the fifth and final episode of our annual Women Founder series, Wade talks with Speaker, Adult Educator, Coach, and Author Debbie Adams.
• A degenerative eye disease took Debbie from a Military career to unemployment and forced her to reinvent herself completely. She’s been through it all and now teaches others what she has learned about what it takes to survive and to flourish.
• To find out more about Debbie and what she does, visit her website peoplecanbiz.com and follow her on Linkedin.
• To find out more about Rural innovation and what Ignite does, check out IgniteAtlantic.com. Ignite can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
• Follow Wade on Linkedin and on Facebook.

• In the fourth of our annual Women Founder series, Wade talks with Maria McGowan, marketer extraordinaire who is the founder of Sociable Media. She’s been in the business for twenty-plus years, was one of the early adopters of social media marketing and remains on the forefront of it.
• Maria has a great love for community and strongly believes in giving back to that community, and we’ll talk about that, as well as her Podcast The Reimagined Energy Podcast, and her recent adventure, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
• To find out more about Sociable Media visit mariamcgowan.com and https://sociablemedia.co/
• Check out the Reimagined Energy Podcast; the website is https://reimaginedenergy.com/ or find them on YouTube.
• Follow Maria on Linkedin.
• To find out more about Rural innovation and what Ignite does, check out IgniteAtlantic.com. Ignite can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
• Follow Wade on Linkedin and on Facebook.