Hey Reader,
So I was back in my home state this past week and immediately rebooted on Tex-Mex and BBQ, as any self-respecting Texan would do. I was down in Boerne speaking at the TX Brewery Roundup (shout out to the TCBG for a great conference!), then hit Austin and Houston to sling some Kick Fizz out in the market.
And let me tell you, nothing reminds you what it's like to bang on retail doors quite like actually banging on doors again. It's been a hot minute since I've been "supplier sales" Julie instead of "consultant" Julie. My feet filed a formal complaint. But honestly? Felt great. Keeps me plugged into the retail market, and it was a solid gut-check on just how hard every single one of us is grinding right now.
Anyway. The conference was buzzing with AI chatter and a whole lot of questions. So of course now I want to talk about it.
(TLDR folks - click here to listen to brand new podcast episodes on tech stacks & AI)
Here's what I keep bumping into. Ask most folks about AI for their beverage or food biz and they go straight to ugly graphics, fake product photos, shitty posters and lazy social captions. And look, if that's your whole use case on this stuff, I say this with love: you've got some catching up to do.
That "AI is just for bad graphics" take isn't even the tip of the iceberg.
AI is basically a dirt cheap employee who never calls in sick, never takes a long weekend, and never ghosts you during your busiest stretch. You've probably got a tiny team wearing seventeen hats, no time, no money. So why on earth wouldn't you let the robot pick up some slack?
And yeah. It's exciting AND terrifying. Both. At the same time. That's allowed. Feel your feelings. And yes we have a long way to go with regulation and environmental concerns, but we're way past "should I use it." The only question left is how you're gonna put it to work and get shit done.
(Side Bar: if you're feeling super conflicted, watch this)
Here's some of what I'm actually doing with brands right now using AI:
- Crunching sales data to sniff out opportunities we would've straight up missed when our eyes crossed from staring at a gazillion spreadsheets for too long
- Boiling down mountains of marketing metrics so we can make real calls on promotional spending and marketing channels
- Turning garbage meeting notes into an actual to-do list that human staff members can follow (and in a timely manner too)
- Brainstorming and building content calendars
- Cleaning up SOPs nobody's touched since growlers were still a thing
- Writing onboarding docs that actually get used time and time again (repeatable systems, wow!)
- and a host of other repeatable, boring, tedious things that have to be done for a business to survive and to successfully manage a team
And that's the short list. There's a mountain more.
One hard rule though, and I will die on this hill: do NOT use the free versions for any of the above. They're not customizable, and they're definitely not private. Pony up for a paid plan, dig into your settings, and shut off the toggle that lets the model train on your stuff. Then get to work. That one move keeps your brand's info yours and hands you a tool you can actually mold around your business.
Your challenge this week: go test drive some AI platforms. Try a couple, find one you vibe with, then treat it like an intern. Train it up on your brand, your voice, your customers, your workflows. The more you teach it, the harder it works for you. Remember - garbage in, garbage out.
Want the deeper how-to? I've got three recent episodes of my podcast that walk you through tackling AI and exploring tech stacks for your business:
- Episode 19 is where I make the case for treating AI like a smart-but-clueless intern that needs context, guardrails, and a grownup checking its work. Where AI belongs in a small brand, where it absolutely does not, and the privacy and data conversation nobody's having out loud. Plus my honest, slightly spicy take on the whole AI imagery fight, from someone running a two-person brand herself.
- Episode 20 is the follow-up: how to build a tech stack that actually serves your business instead of draining your bank account, using a dead-simple four-layer framework. Comes with homework, the software audit every small brand needs to run this month. You're welcome.
- Episode 21 is my interview with Scott Kolbe of Market Your Craft, all about getting found in an AI world. People aren't just Googling anymore, they're asking ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini "where's a good brewery near me." Scott breaks down Answer Engine Optimization in plain English and what small local brands should actually do to show up in those AI answers. He's one of the few real AI-for-beverage experts out there, not just some forum rando.
👉 Listen to episodes 19, 20 & 21 here
The brands still arguing about whether to use AI are gonna get lapped by the ones who quietly figured out how. Don't be the one still arguing. You already do the work of five people. Go hire the intern who works for pennies and never sleeps.
Don't fight it. Just use it.
Julie
P.S. Keep your eyes peeled, because I've got some new service options cooking that I'm not leaking yet. Teaser: more ways to smash together AI efficiencies and actual industry expertise, so you get the speed and revenue without the guessing. More next time. It's gonna be good.
P.P.S. Ready to get to work with me? Book a call to explore options here.
Are you tuned in yet? I have a podcast!
There's a lot of new folks around here lately, so here's the deal. If you enjoy tough love for your business and you actually read these emails, then you'll love the podcast. Bite sized episodes that pack a big punch. You can catch up on all episodes here or click those cute buttons below. You can also search for This Is Not Your Hobby wherever you get your podcasts. Have a Bottleneck for me to tackle on an upcoming episode? Submit your anonymous gripes and beverage business issues here.
