We don’t typically look to a whole industry as a means for inspiring individual actions, but craft beer is in a unique position to do just that. This is one trickle down effect that can work for the individual. In fact, it is already working for the individuals in the craft beer industry.

Brewers are everyday citizens that are leading fulfilling, passionate, and innovative work lives. Brewers are crafting more than just the latest innovative beer. They are crafting themselves. They are coming from other fields for the ability to express who they are as person. Sure, this kind of thing may be going on in other industries to some degree but nowhere else is it happening to such an extent that the collective work of individuals is causing an industry to experience wholesale change. There is something to be noted and learned from when David causes Goliath to change his game.

As we say, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” This is exactly the collective result of so many people tapping fully into their passion. It’s time to get that tide to flow into other areas of life and industry.

The craft beer industry is full of passion, motivation, innovation, self sacrifice for a dream, collaboration, and little judgment toward individual initiatives. This is a set of skills and traits you could only dream of in many other industries.

How can a bunch of Davids cause so much change?

Here are some “Davids” I have biographied so far…

Jeremy Cowan

Jeppe Jarnit-Bjersø

Garrett Oliver

Kim Jordan

If you’ve followed me to this point, you know my focus is on capturing the personal stories of the brewers. With a life coaching perspective, I get them to delve deeper into their thought patterns, skills, and traits that make it all possible.

My hope is that telling these stories will empower others to take back control of their professional course in life through rediscovering a passion that already lies within them and experiencing what it feels like to be passionate about going to work.

The biographies and profiles stand alone as compelling personal stories but I aim to help readers dig deeper to find takeaway messages in the stories that will enable them to seek a more fulfilling work life.

I call it “Craft You.”

Think about it. Most of us are “macro-brewed” versions of our true selves. School, society, and work all water us down so that larger numbers of us pass through the systems more easily. Perhaps it is done for the best hopes of efficiency in the larger system but too many individuals end up down the road wondering what the hell happened to themselves all of those years. The true passion was forgotten because life and the day-to-day got in the way. Or worse yet, it was suppressed because the messages were to conform to what the system needs.

It all seems so tasteless. Think about it, when do you experience the greatest taste sensations? When you have some middle-of-the-road meal? Hell no! The greatest taste sensations are when experiences take you to the edge, or just slightly beyond what you know to be your taste boundaries. You love “craft” in a meal or drink. Why not extrapolate that into your career? Why should work be bland? Sure, we all have our comfort foods but do you eat them everyday?

Here’s another reason to get down to “crafting you.” The paradigm of what it means to have a successful and secure career is changing. The secure corporate career at the local conglomerate outpost is a thing of the past. Many of these companies have macro-brewed themselves into irrelevancy beyond providing some people a wage and benefits in return for the opportunity to control their professional growth. You can be damn sure the watering down flows downhill…and fast! All that is left is cost-cutting or knee-jerk acquisitions to try to stay alive. Is that really the peg you want to hang your hat of career success on?

I went through a layoff, an offshoring of jobs, and an acquisition since 2007. Three career path changing events beyond my control in the span of 5 years. No more! I decided it was time to take back control and fully tap into the passion within me. My passion is to empower others to seek greater fulfillment and exercise greater control over their own career path.

There is no better time than now to bring your passion to the surface and use it to create the next one-off innovation in any field that desperately needs innovation.

You really have no excuse anymore.

- The Internet provides countless opportunities to capitalize on your passion

- Social networking.  As isolated as you may feel posting from your smartphone or laptop, you have never been more connected to so many people who are interested in what you want to do.

- Crowd-sourcing. It is incredibly easy to join groups that will empower you to pursue your passion.

- Start a blog. You can do it for free and have your first post up tonight.

- Crowd-funding. Sites like Kickstarter or Rockethub will allow you to seek funding for your one-off innovation. You are not the only who realizes the stagnation with innovation, creativity, and ideas in industries and is dying for someone to do something about it.

Which brings me to Craft Beer Coach in 2013.

Many workers have grown stagnant about how to seek a more fulfilling and self-determined career path. Individual pursuit of a meaningful career needs innovation. We can now witness first-hand what happens to an industry that is full of passionate and motivated people.

I met a co-founder of Rockethub a few weeks back and we met to talk about the message and mission of Craft Beer Coach. Rockethub is a crowd-funding site that provides a vehicle for funding, awareness, and collaboration on creative projects.

It’s simple. Use the passionate and inspiring craft beer industry and community as a vessel for inspiring you and others (whether you like craft beer or not) to start to “Craft You.”

The project will be kicking off early in 2013 and funding will be used to open the message up to a wider network nationally and to expand the production value of the interviews and biographies. A greater depth of material will be developed to inspire, motivate, and educate individuals about creating a career based upon passion.

Of course, if your goal is to just to seek an entertainment value out of the project there will be plenty of that too. You can contribute to just get your favorite brewer or brewery profiled. Various forms of print and video will be made available for reading and viewing pleasure.

There will be many levels of rewards for consumer and industry funders to get more involved in the Craft Beer Coach mission. There will be opportunities to interact while enjoying great craft beer with industry people.

Your Call to Action

Spread the word to anyone who is in need of a little inspiration and guidance toward creating a more fulfilling and self-determined work experience. The message is universal so it does not matter if you are a wine drinker, auto worker, or a public servant. The craft beer industry provides a great vessel for delivering the message of a brighter work life out there for you and your friends and family.

Spread the word to those who simply look at the craft beer industry and community as a fun place to be hanging out and enjoying the rewards produced by so many passionate and innovative people.

The first step is to begin to follow Craft Beer Coach right now.

Choose any or all of the social media options below to stay informed of developments.

Blog: http://craftbeercoach.com

Twitter: @CraftBeerCoach

Facebook: /CraftBeerCoach

Linkedin: Joseph Callender

Join the Craft Beer Coach mission today.

It’s about much more than the beer. But great craft beer helps!

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