565: Ben Sabin on Growing Your Network Before Growing Your Brand

Hailing from Houston, TX, Ben Sabin is a Graduate of Edwards University where studied Communication, Advertising, PR, and Marketing. A few years after graduation Sabin did some independent contracting before bartending and managing at the Whip In. Sabin spent the next 5 years serving Thirsty Planet Brewing Company in numerous roles. In 2015 Sabin joined forces with friend and business partner Devon Ponds and they founded Friends and Allies Brewing Company, where the Austin Chamber of Commerce awarded them for Outstanding Business Growth and first time entrepreneurs in 2017.

Show notes…

Favorite success quote or mantra:

"Go get it. It's not going to fall out of the sky, and if you don't show up, it is not going to happen." 

In this episode with Ben Sabin, we discuss: 

• Getting after your dreams. Dreams won't just happen on their own. You gotta go get them!
• The importance of first impressions and first experiences. 
• Telling the story behind your business. 
• How to approach people to get their business. Take an interest in your guest or client and they'll take an interest in you. 
• Slow, steady growth. Stick with your core products and don't get too distracted. 
• Why self-distribution is the best approach, in reference to breweries.
• Creating and selling your brand before you have a physical product to sell. Create some hype! 
• Being as loud as you can on social media when you're growing your brand. 
• How to prioritize the scaling process.

Today's sponsor:

EthicsSuite.com -provide a safe, secure, simple and anonymous communication channel between you and your employees to help you protect your hard-earned reputation and assets. Demonstrate to your team that you are committed to providing a workplace that operates with the highest ethical standards. Staying informed about important issues will help you resolve them internally before they spiral into larger, costly, or public problems.

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Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Being in front of his clients as much as possible.  
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Breaking into the North Austin Market. 
3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
   • Are you from North Austin? 
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Staying relevant in a market that always wants the next new thing. 
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Be on time. Do someone else's job as much as you possibly can. 
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • Help organize someone elses' product
7. What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
   • Get in front of the people 
8. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations?
   1. Ecos 
9. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
   1. Do whats right.
   2. Do it often.
   3. Do it again. 

Contact info:

@benthererunthat

@friendsandalliesbrewing

www.friendsandallies.beer

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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Huge thanks to Ben Sabin for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

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