Audra Gaiziunas wears so many hats she could open a Lids. She is the CFO and co-owner of Asheville’s DSSOLVR, founder of Brewed for Her Ledger management consulting firm and treasurer of the Brewers Association’s (BA) board of directors. There is almost no one better to feature in our pre-Craft Brewers Conference edition of A Round With …, the Brewbound Insider-exclusive Q&A with industry leaders.
We checked in with Audra to discuss financial smarts, time management and how to have your best CBC yet.
Here is the first part of our conversation with Audra, which has been lightly edited for clarity. Look for Part 2 next week.
How can Craft Brewers Conference attendees make the most of their time during the event?
Audra: Define your personal game plan before you go. Set a few major goals. Are you there to explore new innovations offered with equipment? Learn about finance (again, I’m biased here so I will upvote this initiative)? Network with other brewers?
Pick your tracks to align with those goals. While on the trade show floor, be sure to ask vendors specific questions such as:
- What are your minimums?
- What sort of lead times are you seeing right now?
- And do you work with breweries my size?
Network with intent. Introduce yourself to the speakers. They are accessible and love to engage after delivering their session. Some of my most uplifting and rewarding interactions have been in the hour following a talk I’ve given. Attend the after-hours events, such as the collabs and tap takeovers.
But most importantly, balance your learning and networking with taking time to breathe and rest in between. Go play with the rescue puppies. Recharge in the quiet room. Drink plenty of water, and try to get some sleep. I personally view the Craft Brewers Conference as a family reunion-meets-Christmas week, and it brings me so much joy to return year after year.
It’s my favorite week for our industry, and every year brings new surprises, new people, new experiences, and new lessons.
What facet of CBC are you most looking forward to?
Audra: This will be my 15th CBC. I can’t believe I’m saying that. Engaging with people in this wild, quirky, creative industry is by far my favorite facet of CBC. Some brewery partners I only see once a year, and this is the event where we reconvene and catch up annually.
As I’m now serving as the treasurer of the BA’s board of directors, I’m also looking forward to listening to our members’ needs at the annual voting members’ meeting and subsequently helping elevate the financial literacy of our membership through various state guild conferences and workshops post-CBC.
In addition to running your own consulting business and your work with DSSOLVR, you’re also an at-large director on the BA board. Why is it important to add this level of association involvement to your already packed schedule?
Audra: I joined the industry at Dogfish Head in 2009 and quickly realized that a lot of avoidable financial mistakes were being made by some amazingly creative and talented people who simply didn’t understand how to read their financials. Breweries whose taprooms were consistently packed would close overnight, and it was often related to a misunderstanding of cash flow and its related burn rate.
I come from a background of non-profit service, as I served as an auditor for this sector for many years, both internally and externally, as well as treasurer for multiple non-profits well before I got into beer. When I entered the beer industry, I looked up to the BA as a resource and a beacon of information. Their mission and values aligned with my own.
I ran for a board seat in 2022 in order to help elevate the financial literacy of our members and to offer the smallest producers a voice. Most of the breweries I work with produce less than 2,000 barrels annually, so they can’t afford to hire a proactively looking financial executive full-time, nor do they need to.
Over the course of the past 12 years I’ve worked with about 350 total entities from coast to coast, and the joy I feel from watching an owner’s eyes light up once they understand key concepts about their financials never diminishes.
Serving on a non-profit trade association board who advocates for our members in an industry I absolutely adore was just a natural extension.
And speaking of having such a packed schedule, what time management advice can you offer busy entrepreneurs?
Audra: Time is a non-renewable and limited resource, and for busy entrepreneurs, especially in industries like craft beverage and hospitality, managing it well means protecting your energy, priorities and momentum.
I have to constantly and ruthlessly prioritize, so I focus on the 20% of tasks that will drive 80% of the results. What is the one thing I can do today that will move the brewery forward the most? I also batch similar tasks together and assign time slots for each of those tasks.
Become a master of asynchronous communication by using project management tools and recording video updates rather than scheduling multiple Zoom calls. We waste a lot of time in meetings, so use what you can find out there to provide updates and move projects forward more efficiently.
At the same time, schedule buffer time in between meetings and build in non-negotiable recharge rituals that are unrelated to your work. For me, that’s designing a new cosplay, building a new costume, and allowing my creative maker side to play. For others it may be journaling, hiking or working out. It’s so important to protect our energy from decision fatigue and burnout, so take some time for yourself daily to do what brings you joy.
And finally, I’m a huge fan of introspection and reflection. I spend a lot of time on the road, and most often I spend my time in the car sitting with myself in silence, reflecting on what’s working and what isn’t, both personally and professionally. What did I move forward? What am I avoiding? What needs to change? What are my priorities over the upcoming week or month?
Remember, you didn’t come this far to build something commonplace and ordinary. You came to build something meaningful and impactful that lasts …. even when it’s hard, even when you’re tired, even when no one sees the work but you. Believe in yourself, believe in the industry, and keep going.
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