June 30- JC vs The World

No, not that JC.

A good friend of mine Scotty Hammel is a fantastic magician, juggler and motivational speaker. I actually saw perform and speak before I got into magic when I was in grade 9. In his speeches he pushes one thing on you (in a nice way). "Find you passion, make it happen." This to me is probably some of the best advice I've ever heard and it’s very clear in his shows and talks that he has certainly done so. Sure motivational speakers do actually motivate people (at least the people who want to be motivated and motivate themselves) but when you are friends with these people and you get to really know them for them it is even more inspiring. Guys like Scotty are few and far between. I'm not talking about people who are successful. I'm talking about people who truly find their passion and live their dream. How many people can you say you know that have found their passion, that thing they love and on top of finding it are actually doing it? Few. I can think of 2 or 3 and of those these developments are quite recent.

I'm one lucky son of a bitch to have found what I believe to be my passion at such a young age. I say what I believe I love to do because can you really know at my age? I'd argue that you can think you have but it will take years to confirm it. I used to think magic was my thing and that lasted about 4 years. Beer has been winning for 2 years now and I have a good feeling.

What inspired this bollocks? Well first of all I was recommended by a friend to check out a site called Johnny Cupcakes (http://www.johnnycupcakes.com/blog/) which is not only worth a look for the cool merch but also a really inspiring story. Please go read it, all of it. I'll wait.

...

...

Wow, you read fast. Anyway, this is the perfect example of someone who clearly has found that thing they love to do. Not only is he successful in business but also he makes people happy.

I'm also writing this because of a new intern/assistant brewer we have up here from Austria. He has been brewing and learning about beer since the age of 15 and is now only 19. I'd argue that by no means is he at a level to know what he wants to do with his life. It just seems weird to me but he, what do I know about Austrians (*cough* Hitler was Austrian *cough*)?

And finally I decided to write this bit because a friend of a friend was a trained paramedic, had a job with somewhat odd hours and then decided she didn't like it. She jumped ship and is now looking for jobs everywhere she can and thinking "hey, maybe I wanna be a cop." This to me again is a bit unsettling.

What I've learned so far about what people need to be successful in what they do.

1) Grow a pair and take risks

2) Try shit out and live a little

3) Pay your dues

Break Down

1) If you read the JC website about how he got his company started, you can clearly see that he has done this first thing. I'll assume you have all read it and that you aren't just taking my spark notes. He risked everything for what he has. He had an easy way to success and lots of money with large retailers. He cut that. He risked lots of money flying to trade shows to get known. It paid off. He nearly buried his parents alive in his shirts before he had the money to buy space. Clearly I'm not giving it all away here for you lazy bastards who didn't read it but you get the point. These are smart risks. This friend of a friend, from now on referred to as FOAF, took a risk and quit her job hoping for something better. No research was put in and it was a quick decision. This was a stupid risk. Austria got into what can essentially be seen as a career when he was 15. This is a major risk. It is STUPID how many people get stuck in jobs they hate just because they make these decisions. Think about it, think think about it (Hats off to those of you who get the reference).

2) Try shit out. I've done a number of things in my life to make some money, get experience and ultimately test the waters out in different areas. Our pal JC did this. Bands, t-shirts shops and graphics turned into an empire with a gigantic fan club (something I'm reaching the point of joining because now that I've finally read the entire thing (yeah it actually took this long. Sorry Laura) I can understand the obsession) and I sure as hell respect building something from nothing. There is a reason I loved LEGO as a kid (and always will). FOAF has tried out a few things but clearly not enough to know what she wants to do. Last I talked to her she loved being a paramedic and was all in for it. I will give her this point. Austria has not done this. Essentially choosing a career at 15 is ridiculous and I don't really need to explain why he does not get a Try shit out point.

3) Pay your dues. Again, this one is fairly simple in the case of JC since he obviously has done this (Seriously, go read it you lazy bastards). Being a paramedic for a few months and jumping ship is clearly someone who needs to rethink the whole thing. You can't start out a CEO unless you start a company and you can't start a company without paying your dues. You gotta work shit and irregular hours to finally get to the spot you want to be at. If you just leave when shit gets hard you might as well stop doing anything. In that case you become homeless and that is probably even harder than working these hours. Austria has clearly paid some dues with 4 years of experience in an industry and has deserved what he has and what will come up in the future. Also, I cleaned the kettle, mash tun and everything else everyday for months to finally get to a position where I get to be a brewer on a regular basis. Stop complaining you lazy new guys. If you don't want to work then go back to Uni and get your desk job. I hope you are happy with it. I know I couldn't be but hey, we are all different.

Score Board

           JC                                      FOAF                         Austria

             3                                           1                                 1.5

Well there you go.

I'd like to point out that most of you are learning and know these things but I really like learning with pictures (which I'd add but I'm brutal at them) and by looking at different cases. I hope I'm not acting like a douche and trying to tell you what to do since I'm in no position to do this. On the scoreboard I'd give myself a 2/3. I've paid my dues, and not only in brewing, I've taken risks such as moving to another country but nothing as large as starting something and I've tried out a good amount of stuff. I haven't done it all but I've done enough to make myself happy because at the end of the day that’s all you gotta do.

P.S. Follow me on twitter. Hint: btaylor55.

June 29- Have you ever noticed?

Noticed? Maybe. What was I supposed to notice?

Well, you weren't SUPPOSED to notice anything, but if you did then you get a gold star.

What the hell am I talking about? Read on.

Lately I've been chatting a lot with people who have a company, want a company or and just generally interested in starting one. From these chats I've noticed that for the most part people only consider influences from the same industry. While you need to know your industry and can't ignore the trends, fads and random noise you can't be solely influenced by it.

Thinking of most of the breweries I've stumbled across it seems they have only drawn influence from other breweries in the world from American craft beer to traditional german lagers and classic british styles it is seemingly harder for new breweries to break out of this funk. Most of the Ontario craft brewers have roots running very deep into british origins with only 1 or 2 really starting to get on the american IPA styles with mega hops and crazy high alcohol brews.  The american craft beer revolution runs as far back as 1984 with Sam Adams and the Boston Beer co. While there were canadian craft breweries opening in this time period (Brick in Waterloo for example) none of them ever got to the size that Sam Adams has become and probably never will. Why? First of all, these guys are stuck and the marketing is just stolen from other successes IN THE SAME INDUSTRY and have really shot themselves in the foot with the customer base they built up (the Laker bums). American Craft brewers started to dry hop beers years later and only now is it growing across the border and to other parts of the world (Scotland quickly comes to mind). From what I've found out dry hopping isn't a new technique but is just used more effectively due to more flavourful hops.

What is going to be the next big thing in brewing? Who knows but I really hope that it doesn't come from history. A leading example I can think of is Dogfish Head in Delaware. These guys are doing some crazy shit and while a good amount of it isn't new techniques they are using the old techniques and bringing them forward (continual hopping, serving through fresh hops and using other woods to age beers). Listening to Sam (founder) talk about his influences in life it seems that a good amount of them are drawn from outside the industry. I really want to meet him someday as his book is amazing and you should check it out. Brewing Up a Business by Sam Calagione. You will thank me later.

Why I care? These same people that I've chatted with have made me realize that it takes more than good beer to have a great brewery. It takes innovative thinking, inventive ways to spend (and save) money and a bit of insanity. I thankfully have the last bit, part of the first bit and bits of the second bit as well. It has also made me realize, even though it depressed me quite a bit, that I'll need to get off my ass soon and start to do some work.

I'm 21 right now and what have I accomplished? Well, I've got through 2.5 years of a chemistry degree, I've grown the balls to move to a new country for 8 months knowing next to nothing about where I'd be living, what I'd be doing or who I'd meet and I've met some fantastic people who have inspired me. I'll be honest, it was a bit scary after the excitement wore off but its turned out for the best and I'd never change what I've done. Ever. Why I'm kicking myself in the head a bit is because people only 3 years older than me, as well as people younger, have done so much more. I know it isn't good to compare yourself to other people but at times it's hard not to. I guess I'm actually coming to grips with the things that I've been talking about for a year or so. Owning a brewery, brew pub or both. Its scary to think that in a few years I might own my own business. I know if I do I'll have a lot of support from lots of great people, either financially or emotionally (we all need a shoulder to cry on at times, right?), but I worry and wonder if I can manage the stress, fear and burden of it after that initial excitement wears off. No matter how much research you do, experience you get or planning hours you put into things you just never know.

And what scares me the most (other than my yearly birthday freak out session about getting older)? How can I be different. I want and need to be different from the competition in order to a) be successful and b) make myself happy. b is much more important to me than a but there is definitely a relationship between the two.

You meet new people everyday and in each new interaction you learn something that you can take away and keep with you. I'm an optimist, its a fact but man it gets hard at times to see the bigger picture. I'm fortunate enough that I've had an interesting life and have many things to draw from for inspiration but inspiration is another mystery and usually just shows up from time to time. With that in mind, you have to work hard and find things to learn about to draw inspiration from. I love music, books, magic and movies and from each of those you gain something. Every song has a different purpose to different people. You take away things from a movie that others may not (which is why I hated english class because my opinion was usually wrong. That makes no fucking sense, does it? An opinion can't be wrong you idiots.). Magic is about personal experience. Some people believe, some are entertained and some can't be bothered.

Your life experiences design you. What you do with them defines you (Is that mine? I hope so)

I'm not sure how we got here but this is a long fucking post. Thanks to everyone who read to the end and I'd like feedback. I love collaborations and will work with anyone on anything if you get me interested because once you have that hook the rest is easier. Thanks to everyone, and you know who you are, who inspired it.

Cheers (to the 2 pints you probably drank while reading all this. And you are still reading because I'm still typing. Sorry)

June 24th- 2 Months Today

2 months from today I'll be landed at home, sleeping in my own bed (and a much better one at that) and recovering from 8 months of fairly continuous drinking. I'll also be preparing for another 2 weeks on the road to the eastern US. It all sounds exciting but I'll be honest, its a tough thing to think about.

It is pretty weird to think that I've been here for about 6 months and in general nothing at home seems to have changed. That or no one feels like telling me about it. It probably is for the best since hearing about all the awesome things that people are doing at home would make my life a bit harder.

The past few weeks have been absolute hell for me and seem to be very draining. I've been doing way too much thinking and I'm just constantly tired because I don't sleep. I don't know why although I have suspicions (which I won't share here to save you from boredom). I don't even think about things that matter too much, just random shit that happens to come about. Example, I've woken up abruptly and had song lyrics flowing through my head to a tune I've never heard before. Minutes later they are gone but at this point I'm awake and my mind is going. I'm fucked for sleep.

I have had a few ideas for beers and brewing lately which I would consider productive for the future but I'd like to be able to capture those ideas and then get back to sleep immediately afterwards. It doesn't happen.

I've also started to hang out with normal people more often (by normal I mean people who I don't directly work with so we can't just banter and complain about work all the time) and it might be one of the things that keeps me up. After about 5 months of living in relative isolation with people you probably wouldn't ever chat with if it wasn't for beer and then suddenly shifting to a bit of "normalcy" on your days off is a bit of a shock to the system. You start to think "hey, this is what its like to hang out with people. I miss this." Things aren't so bad if you can manage to forget what you've left behind but when you get a reminder of how great life can be with friends it is fairly disruptive. One of my favourite movies is Donnie Darko and in it there is a brilliant quote. It doesn't make sense unless I explain the whole situation, which I'm not going to do, but essentially it ultimately equates to the fact that every now and then you need to be reminded how beautiful life can be. The same directly applies to being reminded how fun life can be and how good it feels to hang out with people who have the same mindset and attitude about life.

Actually putting this down on "paper" has made me feel a bit better. I shock myself at how honest these blog posts can come across when I decided I don't give a shit about what people think but honestly anyone reading this knows me well enough to know that in general I'm an open person. Most people don't know me well enough to know that I'm absolutely awful at talking about how I feel but I'll tell you right now. I can't talk about how I feel at all and even when I do its watered down with a large dose of sarcasm and off topic jokes. Telling people about how I feel would seem safer since I'm posting this on the web and anyone can read it but for some reason its easier to get things down on "paper".

Well the topic of this post quickly went from excitement to depressing but I'm happy with it. It isn't a pick me up but hopefully it will help me sleep a bit better.

Cheers

Spying on Black Isle Brewery

It wasn’t exactly like this but it sounds cool.

Last weekend I headed up to Inverness with Dempster and Laura for the Black Isle Brewery grand opening for the new facility they just had built. We headed out just after my shift on Friday night and arrived around 10:30. His mom had prepared a really good vegetable stew type thing and both his parents were very welcoming. This house was absolutely spectacular in the dark, and the next day it got even better.

After chatting for a while, a few beers and a few more, we all decided to turn in since we had a full day of drinking ahead the next day.

When we got up we all felt pretty good and had some croissants and muesli before going for a morning hike to Rogie Falls. This place was cool and getting some fresh air was nice. Also seeing colours that aren’t grey (which all of Fraserburgh is) was pretty cool. Sadly we didn’t see the salmon.

Then it was off to the brewery. This place isn’t just a brewery; it’s an organic farm. It wasn’t like going to a brewery; it was like going to someone’s house who just happen to have one. It was a cool feeling. There were bands all day, a hog roast and lots of beer. I’ll be honest, the beers were decent for what they were (low abv beers for typical british drinkers) and lacked lots of flavours and a knowledge of how to use hops. All criticisms aside, it was cool. They are also organic but we all know that’s bullshit. Organic shit is not that great and despite what some people said it does give you a have over.

We managed to get lots of free beers since Dempster used to work there and I met a few brewers from Tempest, a place down south of Edinburgh, who were out for the day. Lots of people to meet and a few came up and introduced themselves from the Stone night in Edinburgh about a month before. It is safe to say that I didn’t recognize anyone since I was a bit too drunk that night.

Near the end of the night a big fire was started and we all chilled around it. I met a few Canadians from Halifax who were working on the farm for the summer. They don’t get paid but they get food, shelter and beer at this place. Clearly the last is most important.

Sunday was a bit rough for everyone but we did manage to go for a hike and get a great view of the entire area. Then we laid on the hill for about and hour in the heather to let the hangover pass. It helped a bit.

Highlights of the weekend

1)   The bed I had was a proper bed and was really comfy. I could have stayed there.

2)   It wasn’t worth spying on Black Isle since they are stuck in the past. Good party though.

3)   I got out of Fraserburgh and saw the highlands a bit. Beautiful landscape up there and the house that Dempsters parents have is amazing. I’m totally in for a return visit.

Ultimately, I just want to thank Dempster and his parents for having us. It was definitely the highlight of my trip so far (except maybe the Céilidh). Good weekends with Laura and Dempster seem to be what I do these days. Clearly I’ve found the coolest people in Fraserburgh and none of them are from here. It’s a hint I’m pretty sure.

The Céilidh To End All Céilidh’s

Just for reference, its pronounced Kay-lee.

I know this blog post is way overdue but if you haven’t worked it out for yourself I’m not keeping with my post a day schedule. Sorry, but I just have too much shit to do and frankly it was too hard. This post is also way over due and was from May 21^st but I promise it’s a good one.

To quote the all-knowing Wikipedia a Céilidh is a “traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.”

I know what you are saying “hey Brett, that sounds like a fun night and all, but I’d rather shoot myself in the face,” to which I’d respond “You are wrong, that shit rocks. Not to mention getting shot hurts.”

Before I went I was quite skeptical myself since people told me it was like Scottish line dancing. Wonderful. It sounds like a hoot that only people that live in Ponypool would enjoy. I kept and open mind and it paid off. That shit was awesome. It was an ex coworkers 21^st birthday and her brother has a Céilidh.

In most aspects it is like line dancing but it’s more like Oktoberfest with lots of beer (we are in Scotland remember) and lots of swinging people around, spinning and a bit of lifting. To watch it seems like an absolute confusing mess of a shit show but once you get in you are hooked. It was bomb. We also played this hockey game (field hockey, they don’t know what hockey really is) and just chilled.

After the party we went back to Fiona’s house to have a few more beers, which I passed on since I had to work at 8 the next day, and chatted with loads of people. A few people guessed I was Irish, American or had an Australian parent but no one guessed I was Canadian. Confidence booster. I also had some haggis pizza which was caught fresh just for the party. Haggis are quite hard to ask, just ask our American friend Laura. She can tell you all about it.

All in all it was a great night seeing Fiona, Nick and meeting lots of other people.  I made sure Dempster and Laura made it home alive and surprisingly the next day of work wasn’t too bad with only 4 hours of sleep. I guess the lack of beer helped me pull through.

For a more comprehensive and well structured recollection of this event check out Laura’s blog at http://planestrainsandbeer.posterous.com/my-first-ceilidh-kay-lee  so give it a read when you got a chance. It’s much better than mine.