Logistics and Warehouse Manager at Stem Ciders
Why did you decide to come to Leeds?
I was interested in Leeds before undergrad, but plans changed. Once I decided to get my MBA and researched the School and the surrounding area, I desired the entrepreneurial landscape and wanted to learn in an area with that kind of expertise. Having the trails and mountains didn't hurt either.
What is one thing you learned at Leeds that you will never forget?
The process of creating a business plan was incredibly valuable, even if having the physical document is less useful than it was years ago. In a nutshell, it taught me every facet that can make a business succeed or fail.
Tell us about a particular professor or mentor that influenced you while you were at Leeds.
There is a reason I took multiple classes from George Deriso. His lecturing style and the way he facilitated discussions allowed you to agree or disagree with him or classmates in a productive way.
Where has life taken you since you graduated Leeds?
It has been an interesting road. Immediately following graduation, I got into the brewing world and became a brewer in Indianapolis. The idea being to learn every facet of “how-to” before trying to own a brewery. Unfortunately, breweries became a dime a dozen and owning/running one didn’t seem as attractive or financially feasible as it did in 2015. Upon moving back to Colorado, after one more year of brewing in Longmont, I pivoted to the supply chain side of craft brewing and used the other side of my MBA degree at Stem Ciders in Lafayette. This has allowed me to get firsthand knowledge regarding supply chains, purchasing, warehousing, and marketing in the craft industry. Personally, my wife, Laura, and I are proud first-time parents to our active and loving baby boy, Milo Brooks. He is 7 months old and has been life changing in so many ways.
What is one piece of advice/best practice that has stuck with you throughout your career?
Change is inevitable – sometimes good, sometimes bad. The quicker and more efficiently you can deal with change management the more attractive you are to your employer or vice versa.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
The best part about being in the logistics field is no days are the same. My best piece of advice is to roll with the punches so to speak. When things get hard (think logistics during COVID hard), I had to be able to tell myself, “It is just cider.” In other words, take your work seriously, but not too seriously – there will always be another truck, another inventory count, another purchase order, etc. and if you make a mistake, learn from it and correct it on round two rather than obsessing over what went wrong.
What do you miss most about Boulder?
I am lucky enough to still be in the area and can enjoy the trails, food, and hiking this area has to offer.
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