Today’s episode was recorded live at New Holland Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where we interviewed New Holland Brewing’s founder and CEO, Brett VanderKamp.

Brett graduated college as a Geology major but soon thereafter found his calling in the craft brewing industry and has grown New Holland Brewing into one of the most recognisable independent brewers and distillers in the country.

We discuss a number of topics with Brett today, including his childhood influences, the values that shape New Holland Brewing, and how Brett is cultivating his children’s entrepreneurial spirit.

What we talk about:
2:41 – What was Brett’s upbringing like?
4:39 – What did Brett study at college?
7:00 – How did Brett’s father and grandfather influence his entrepreneurial spirit?
9:43 – How did Brett develop his business’ purpose and values?
11:57 – What are some of Brett’s reflections on the early days of the New Holland Brewing Company?
14:40 – How are Brett’s children getting involved in the business and what are his thoughts on succession?
19:08 – What is the “why” that drives Brett?
20:54 – How has Brett’s geology background helped him think about the future of his business?
22:47 – What challenges lay ahead for brewers?
25:08 – How do you prepare for the big changes in a business (like succession planning)?
28:09 – How can business owners instill their values in the next generation?
30:26 – How can you pivot when presented with a setback?

This month, we will be taking a brief hiatus as we prepare to launch a new podcast series, Secrets of Enterprising Families, airing in November.
In this series, co-hosts Eric Czepyha and Nike Anani will interview experts on the strategies successful families have used to transfer their values, wealth, and legacy to the next generation.
Join us back in November and December for new episodes of The Road to Why.

Our guest today is on a mission to revolutionize the advertising industry and the way Gen Z spends money and spends time with one another.

Sam Obletz is the co-founder of Claim, which he launched with his classmate Tap Stephenson while at Harvard Business School.

The Claim app seeks to build a new way for friends to connect and for brands to reward their customers. This is done not with more screen time, likes and reposts, but through fostering authentic, in-person connections and experiences among peers around a brand.

And investors have taken notice, including the venture capital firm Sequoia Capital which announced its partnership with Claim last year.

In today’s episode, Sam will dive into Claim and share his insights on entrepreneurship, raising capital, and generational attitudes towards spending, among other topics.

In the episode we will learn:

• (2:01) – How did Sam’s upbringing influence his work ethic?
• (3:15) – How did Sam catch the entrepreneurial bug?
• (5:27) – What did Sam’s parents do to help him on his business journey at the age of 12?
• (7:35) – What was the journey like from Sam’s early business ventures to setting up Claim?
• (10:29) – What problem does Claim solve?
• (13:12) – What’s the long-term opportunity for Claim?
• (14:46) – How does Sam approach team building and leadership?
• (16:09) – What would Sam change if he could turn back the clock?
• (18:06) – What advice does Sam have for entrepreneurs looking to raise capital?
• (21:01) – What insight does Sam have on Gen Z spending habits?
• (23:35) – What kind of impact does Sam want Claim to have on the world?
• (25:56) – What is the why behind Sam's entrepreneurial mindset and work ethic?