A Brooklyn Brewery founder shares the best advice he ever got
(Brett Casper/Brooklyn Brewery) Brooklyn Brewery cofounder, president, and chairman Steve Hindy.
Steve Hindy founded Brooklyn Brewery with Tom Potter in 1988. Thanks to the recent craft beer revolution, it's emerged as one of the top 10 most successful independent breweries in the US.
Largely due to an emphasis on partnering with other businesses for events in their biggest markets, Brooklyn Brewery has tripled sales in the past few years and is on track to bring in $70 million in revenue this year.
Hindy says the best business advice he received came early in his brewing career from the brewery's packaging designer Milton Glaser, the artist best known for his iconic "I ♥ NY" logo. As an artist, Glaser was his own boss, and it gave him a unique perspective on working with others.
"Milton told me that one of the first questions he asks himself when he encounters a potential client or business partner is, 'Do I like this person? Do I want to work with this person?' If the answer is no, he does not pursue the relationship," Hindy says.
"This is not to say you have to be best friends with everyone you do business with," he says. "But rather you have to respect the business partner and see benefit for you and your company in the relationship."
Hindy says this approach to making deals has allowed him to "avoid many unhealthy and disagreeable transactions."
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