Photo courtesy of Duck Foot Brewing
Suzy Pessutti and Brett Goldstock
I love my husband. But I would, without doubt or hesitation, rip his face off with my teeth and dance on his mutilated corpse if I had to share an office with him for more than a day or two.
Thankfully, the local brewing industry doesn’t share my animosity when it comes to working with a romantic partner. I’m sure beer helps soothe tensions when the going gets tough. With that in mind, I asked a handful of brewery-owning partners: “What on earth made you decide to open a brewery together?” and “What advice do you have for someone thinking about working with a partner or spouse?”
Duck Foot Brewing Company (Miramar and East Village)
Brett Goldstock (chief fermentation officer) and Suzy Pessutti (vice president of retail operations) have been married (almost!) 27 years.
“We were no strangers to working together, as this is our fifth job together,” says Pessutti. “One challenge is that the lines between work life and home life are pretty well blurred… be sure you get along really well and know how you each handle stressful situations. It’s important to communicate with your spouse/partner in a professional manner and setting. You should adopt two distinct communication styles—one for work and one for home. Uncomfortable conversations between partners can also affect staff who might overhear and make for a hostile workplace.”
Photo courtesy of Indian Joe Brewing
Geri Lawson and Max Moran
Indian Joe Brewing (Vista)
Geri Lawson (vice president/general manager) and Max Moran (president/brewmaster) have been partners for 26 years.
“This was Max’s lifelong dream and I wanted to help him achieve his dream, [but] working with your partner is very challenging and stressful,” says Lawson. “First, in order to succeed you need to have a vision and be able to share that same vision. Next, you need to have a solid relationship with the person. Do you trust them completely? You need to know what each other’s strengths and weaknesses are and respect that you both are different and be willing and able to compromise. There’s a lot of that. Lastly, you need to have an agreement that work stays at work and home and family stays at home. You can’t bring your personal stuff to work; that is probably the most challenging thing we deal with on a regular basis.”
Photo courtesy of Second Chance Beer
Marty Mendiola and Virginia Morrison
Second Chance Beer Company (Carmel Mountain Ranch and North Park)
Co-founders Virginia Morrison (CEO/“The Boss”) and Marty Mendiola (COO/brewmaster) have been partners for 10 years, and married for six years.
“A brewery was something Marty and Curtis [Hawes, third co-founder of Second Chance] talked about years before I came on the scene,” says Morrison. “Once Marty and I started dating, though, I offered my legal expertise, business acumen and connections to co-found the brewery. I never intended to work with my husband [but] quite simply, this behemoth is just too much for two of us. We make a great triad!”
“Summer [Nixon from Brew Hop Tours] told me Marty and I should strive to treat each other as we would other colleagues in the workplace,” Morrison adds. “It is not always easy observing those boundaries, but it is damn good advice.”