And in the spirit of Festivus, it’s time to Air Your Grievances: if you’ve got a craft beverage business Bottleneck (sales stuck, marketing not converting, distro weirdness, taproom chaos, margin mystery, team drama, you name it), submit it to me via this Google Form (Click HERE to submit) and I will tackle them on a upcoming episode of the This Is Not Your Hobby the Podcast.
Oh and for you skimmers - here's the TLDR: read more. Yeah the TLDR is read more. Seriously read more and reap the monetary benefits. Books and libraries are the best (mostly free) way to boost your business. I've got a list for you - Click here for the NYHMS Recommended Reading List
Now onward - criss cross applesauce.
Last week I had one of those chats that’s equal parts “industry check-in” and “are we all okay?” with a colleague who’s also one of my most cherished friends.
She runs a taproom with her partner. So naturally we ended up talking about the same thing most small business owners are staring down right now:
Closing out the year.
She goes, “I have all these receipts piled up on my desk that I need to record so we can close the books, but first I’m going to clean the office so I have space...mentally and physically.”
And honestly? Sounds great in theory. Being that I know her really well, organized spaces are like a reward, so pairing a reward with a task you're dreading sounds like a great productivity tactic.
But also… that’s often procrastination wearing a branded trucker cap.
Because what happens next is you’re suddenly reorganizing pens, wiping down shelves, and making a “music playlist for closing the books”… and the receipts are still sitting there like tiny paper gremlins judging you.
So I told her: eat the frog.
She gave me the exact look you’d expect when someone tells you to eat a frog. 😳
If you’ve ever heard me speak at an industry conference, you’ve probably heard me mention the book Eat That Frog.
The idea is simple: if you have to do something gross or painful, do the worst part first. Get it over with. Then everything else feels lighter - sometimes even weirdly easy.
For me, it's anything related to accounting. For others, it might be social media metrics or writing an email or dealing with an HR issue. Whatever you're currently dreading.
It’s a productivity trick, sure. But in craft beverage, it’s also a survival skill. Because we have small teams and limited resources, so there's no one else to help you eat your frogs.
Here are a few very real “frogs” that show up around year-end—by department—so you can spot yours and gulp it down first:
Finance / Accounting: Evaluate profitability of all your offerings. And yes, you will discover things that you love that you might have to let go in 2026.
Sales: Compare volume and points of distribution year over year. I know 2025 was not awesome, don't come at me. This has to be done so we can know where we need to go next year.
Distribution: Audit POs that were 100% fulfilled vs what got shorted. Your forecasting needs to be tight. Out of stocks are death these days.
Marketing: Identify your top 3 channels that got the most engagement, then ditch the ones that are just busy work and not moving the needle for purchase intent.
Taproom / FOH: Do a quick menu profitability gut-check: what sells AND makes money after pour cost, labor, comps, and waste.
Operations / Inventory: Do a real physical count and reconcile it to what your system thinks you have (because the system is always… optimistic).
HR / People Ops: Update staff expectations and job roles before the new year begins to avoid misaligned chaos.
You do not need to do everything today. But you do need to stop creating pre-tasks before the real tasks.
So do the most dreaded thing first. The rest of your list will get quieter, more palatable. Your brain gets space back. And you get momentum, which is the kind of energy that all of us need heading into a new sales year.
Ditch the resolutions. Eat the frogs.
Also consider giving yourself the gift of business knowledge this year. It keeps giving long after the holidays are over. Here's the link to my preferred reading list (again, bc this is important).
Now for a seamless (and shameless) segue: if you’re reading this thinking, “Cool, but I would love someone to help me identify the frog… and then actually eat it,” that’s exactly why I built the Barrel 2 Business Collective.
It’s $40/month for your whole team. No contracts. No long-term commitment. If you decide I’m the nasty bits of frog and you’re not into it, you can bolt anytime.
But if you stay, you’ll learn alongside other beverage operators who are in the exact same arena: Sales, digital marketing for restricted goods, distribution + chain sales, simple data analysis, profitability, pricing, and planning—plus a private, password-protected community that lives off social media and is worth every penny.
If you want to keep gifting yourself profits in the new year, learn more or join here:
Wishing you a wonderful, safe holiday season—however you celebrate**. And know that I’m extremely grateful for you. In a current world where meanness sometimes feels louder than kindness, I want to send you my gratitude and remind you: my door is always open. For everyone—especially those who are underrepresented.
**in solidarity with my writer friends, #JusticeForEmDashes
With love and receipts,
Julie
PS: Cue loud alarm noise 🚨 I’m speaking twice (yay!) at the Craft Brewers Conference 2026 in Philly - make a plan to join me there or maybe I'll see you at one of these upcoming events!
Fab Conference - food & bev biz conference for women! Put this on your calendar now. June 7-9 in Charleston, SC
PPS: If you want to really pump things up to an 11 in 2026, book a call with me to chat about Part Time and Full Time Consulting packages. For brands who are really looking to move the needle next year and need more than just public forum opinions, but real customized strategies for your unique craft beverage brand. Stop Googling solutions - let's build them together! Don't be scared, a call doesn't obligate you to anything. Jump on my calendar before I go into waiting list mode -Book A Call HERE
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