Episode 3 I sit down with Matt Swift! Matt is a native Iowan and grew up in the hospitality industry working with his mother. he attended the University of Iowa but left early to follow her into the restaurant business. He has opened and operated over 15 projects in Iowa including, Big Grove Brewery, St. Burch Tavern, Red's Alehouse, 30Hop, Pullman's, Tribute, and many more! These hospitality projects focus on more than great food and drink - they focus on creating community and bringing people together. With high-end architecture, great food, and warm atmospheres, the projects aim to create a strong sense of place. These projects have helped foster both the business atmosphere and culture of each of the neighborhoods in which they are located. Matt was awarded the 2018 Corridor Business Journal (CBJ) Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the 2019 Junior Achievements Business Hall of Fame Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Matt lives in his hometown of Iowa City on the Iowa River with his wife, Cayla, and their two children.
This is another great episode! Matt is a rockstar in the local Iowa community with all of his successful ventures. It was a pleasure to sit down with Matt and discuss his journey and advice for students and young professionals.
Here are some show notes from the episode:
01:30 Matt's background in Iowa
05:30 Matt's start in the restaurant business partnering up with his Mom
08:25 The start of Red's Alehouse and craft beer journey
11:40 Starting a craft brewery career out of a basement
13:20 The founding of Big Grove Brewery in Solon, IA
19:30 Scaling BGB to one of the largest breweries in Iowa
21:30 Maintaining a positive culture and relentless hospitality while you're scaling your business
26:45 Determining what the concept is for new ventures
31: 20 The state of craft beer in Iowa and the Midwest
38:00 Career and life advice for college students
39:42 Books and podcast Matt recommends:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Culture Code: The secrets of highly successful groups
41:00 Rapid Fire round
Thank you to Matt for coming on! There are a ton of good lessons and advice for listeners in this episode. Be sure to check out Big Grove Brewery on their website https://biggrove.com/pages/iowa-city and on their Instagram @biggrovebrewery
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Thanks for listening!