If you are a former Patreon supporter of Crafted For All, a subscriber to the Crafted For All newsletter, or simply a careful observer of the writing on the wall, you already know that Crafted For All has officially closed its doors as a consultancy and professional development platform. For the rest of you…surprise.
Getting Serious About Self-Care
I have a confession. I am a hypocrite. Though I make every effort to advocate for self-care, work/life balance, and burnout awareness in the industry, I am a trash advocate for myself. In fact, for years I have received the recommendation that I slow down and engage in self-care with the same automatic (if unspoken) response.
“You can f*ck all the way off with that noise. I don’t have time for scented candles.”
But the reality is that I have been in need of more than candles for quite some time. I’ve worked the equivalent of two full-time jobs while serving on no fewer than three nonprofit boards and/or advisory committees since 2016. Very simply, it’s time for me to step back before the toll that work is taking on my mind and body becomes irreversibly great.
I spent much of the past year trying to figure out precisely what was going to give, and for months I was unable to come to a decision. Eventually, I realized that I couldn’t chart a healthier professional path because the stakes were too high. In fact, the stakes were everything. I am ashamed to admit that choosing a new work path felt like choosing a new life path, because I’d allowed myself to get to a place where just about everything I valued about myself was somehow connected to my work.
So, I forced myself to ask a different question. What professional choices are best for your health? Once I asked that question, the answers became shockingly simple.
- Step away from the entrepreneurial grind—it’s killing you.
- Embrace stability—make space for healthy routines.
- Prioritize teamwork and collaboration—you don’t have to go at everything alone.
- Get back to what you love—unless it’s a “hell yes,” say no.
- Use your experience and knowledge to empower the next wave of professionals—pass the torch.
Work one job and let your passions bring you joy.
Crafted For All: A Passion Project
Crafted For All isn’t going away, but it will transition back to it’s roots as a blog about culture and craft beverage, and a home for my fermentation related passions—beer judging and sensory education, homebrewing and other fermentations, and organizing events beer collabs for a cause. You can expect 87% more dorkery, 358% less professionalism, and a total switchover to using the first person POV. My main hustle is going back to my side hustle, yall. I couldn’t be more stoked for the change!
The observant among you probably noticed that “mostly” in the title of this post. After all, I did say Crafted For All was going back to being my “side hustle.” That hustle will have the urgency of a lemonade stand on a breezy spring afternoon and involve only activities I love and have the energy and time to make space for. And importantly…I WILL NOT take the form of consulting work. But if you’re looking for some beer education or a half decent speaker, hit me up. I might say yes.
Still in the Business of Supporting Businesses
Regrettably, retirement isn’t one of the outcomes of the transitions I am making. A gal can dream, right? And though I fully intend to scale back the volume of my work, I also intend to scale up it’s impact.
On January 1, 2024, I joined the Brewers Association as the full-time Director of Social Impact. In this role, I will be building upon the foundation that Crafted For All has established through its partnership with the (BA). The social impact department will continue to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts including the BA Mentorship Program, internal and industry benchmarking efforts, and collaborating with the association’s DEI Committee. The department will also continue to drive high-impact philanthropy efforts, including the DEI Mini-Grants Program and CBC Travel Grants Program, as well as educational initiatives under the banner of THRIVE, which encompasses DEI, Human Resources, and Wellness education for small and independent beverage producers and allied trade organizations.
I encourage those of you who are interested in continuing to receive business resources and information about training and facilitation services to sign up for the Brewers Association THRIVE mailing list.
