![[Company Name]'s Founder Stories](/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Fonuder@-Partners-01a-150x150.png)
Founder@ Interview
Interview with Alex Smith
“I’ve recently learned a few key exercises from Neuro-Linguistic Programming and one of the things that really sticks out is that there’s no such thing as failure – only feedback. If you can learn from your previous experiences, whether they work out or not, then you can grow and move forwards..” – Alex Smith
Today we feature Alex Smith, the founder at Gypsy Brew. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
I’ve worked in the retail sector for around 10 years now and co-founded Gypsy Brew during 2020. I love authentic brands that have an original story to tell, and I’m fascinated by the heritage of the West Midlands, so I combined these two passions together with the launch of Gypsy Brew!
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
Gary and I have known each other for almost a decade and first started developing the idea for Gypsy Brew at the end of 2019. In 2020, during the first lockdown of the pandemic, when both our businesses – my barbershop and his pub – closed, we threw all our efforts into Gypsy Brew and that’s where it all began!
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
We’re based in Weatheroak Hill Brewery, which is just outside of Birmingham on the edge of Worcestershire. We have 4 core products: a Classic American Pale Ale, Gypsy Water; a Tropical Session, Garrity Mash; a Craft Lager, Cushti Bok, and a Craft Cider, Django’s Halo.
By keeping the product range small and bespoke, we’re able to retain more control over the quality – and it remains craft by name, craft by nature.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
We are very fortunate to have struck a happy medium within the team. I’m extremely proactive and eager to get things done, whereas Gary is very levelheaded and practical; this means that we can move fast but also know when we need to take a step back to make a conscientious decision.
ADVERTISEMENT
We also have the expertise of Rob, our beer cicerone, and Jules who has been supporting us with producing a brand story and voice over the last few months. We believe that craft beer (and cider!) can look great and taste it too – and doesn’t have to come in lots of variations – this is where we all stand firm.
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
I started another retail business a few years ago and tried to do too many products all in one go; like I say, I’m always eager to pursue opportunities, but I’ve learnt from these previous experiences that you need to keep things simple when you start out.
Building a new business is hard enough and when you launch with too many products, it can confuse the direction of the brand and its potential growth, so we made a conscious decision to keep things simple with Gypsy Brew.
To learn from our mistakes a little quicker, but some of these early issues were inevitable due to the pandemic and the unprecedented impact of multiple lockdowns.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
To believe in myself more: it’s very easy to fall into the trap where you think because you come from a certain background that there’s only a few options in life or that you have a maximum level of potential that you can reach because of who you are. It’s not true; we can be anything and your mindset is everything.
We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?
We run on effective communication, having skilled, dependable people around (who are better than us!) and having solid goals to focus on both short term and long term.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
To learn from our mistakes a little quicker, but some of these early issues were inevitable due to the pandemic and the unprecedented impact of multiple lockdowns.
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
Building a stockist relationship with critically acclaimed restaurants across the Midlands, including Craft; to us, that was a massive achievement to secure within our first few months of launch and has set us up for what looks to be a bright future!
What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
We currently have the wheels in motion to open our very own taproom – The Garrity Taproom – in early 2022, to help elevate our brand and to build a community who don’t want to settle for the ordinary. They’re hungry for more, for something original and authentic, which we breathe throughout our brand and we can’t wait for this exciting new chapter.
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
I’ve recently learnt a few key exercises from Neuro Linguistic Programming and one of the things that really sticks out is that there’s no such thing as failure – only feedback. If you can learn from your previous experiences, whether they work out or not, then you can grow and move forwards.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and Gypsy Brew”
To learn more about Gypsy Brew Visit https://gypsybrew.co.uk/shop
Inspired by this story? Please share this story and other founder stories.
For more inspiring founders stories check out Founder Stories.
Have an inspiring founder story?
Every entrepreneur’s journey is unique and powerful.
Your story of perseverance and success could be the spark that ignites the next generation of world-changing ideas. By sharing your experiences, you’re not just telling a story – you’re lighting a path for others to follow, dream, and achieve.
Disclaimer:
The views, thoughts, information, and opinions expressed in the text, videos, images belong solely to those of the individuals involved, and do not necessarily represent those of Founderat.com and its corporate owners, employees, organization, committee, or other group or individuals.
More from Founder Stories
” Be very careful with advice—most of it will steer you toward conventional thinking. Build your ability to reason from first principles, embrace resilience, and focus on creating long-term value.“ – Nick Root
"Be very careful with advice—most of it will steer you toward conventional thinking. Build your ability to reason from first …
“I’ll share two bits of advice that have been instrumental to me, both coming from different places but equally impactful…” – Liam Sanders
Founder@ Interview With Liam Sanders "I'll share two bits of advice that have been instrumental to me, both coming from different places …
“Start with empathy.” Whether you’re building a product, leading a team, or pitching to investors, the core of your business should be understanding people’s needs…” – Rainier Mallol
Founder@ Interview With Rainier Mallol "The one piece of advice I would give is: "Start with empathy." Whether you're building a product, …
