Ep 19. Sam Calagione: Founder Of Dogfish Head Brewery

Stew Friedman talks with Sam Calagione, Founder and CEO of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and author of Off Centered Leadership. Fast Company named Sam one of The 100 Most Creative People in Business and The Wall Street Journal calls him “a pioneer of bizarre brews”. Stew and Sam discuss the unique culture he created at Dogfish emphasizing non-conformity, collaboration, and creativity. Show Notes (times when new topics start) 2:00. The off centered leadership style. At its start, Dogfish Head put an off centered spin on beer recipes to compete with the large brewers. That led Sam and Dogfish Head employees to embrace an off centered style of working. 5:05. Dogfish company culture. Dogfish champions creativity and self-expression. Sam takes beer seriously, but not himself. 7:25. Hiring at Dogfish. Sam is careful to hire people who will add creativity and authenticity to the Dogfish’s culture, not just people with the right technical skills. 9:40. Work/Life harmony at Dogfish. Sam founded Dogfish in 1995. The company has helped him find harmony among the different parts of his life. A key to Sam’s success in doing so is his ability to find roles in which he is both skilled and happy and to hire people to take on the other stuff. 19:05. The Dogfish brand. Sam draws on his interest in poetry, philosophy, and art to craft the Dogfish brand. This interest lead Sam to partner with other artistic organizations (like vinyl record stores). 22:15. Staying true to yourself. Sam doesn’t “let the tail of money wag the dog of inspiration.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.