CMO Spotlight | Brian Miesieski - SweetWater Brewing Company
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Brian Miesieski, the Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Marketing and Innovation for SweetWater Brewing Company. In the interview he shared how he leads his team by example, his joy for working in the craft beer industry, and what he admires about the Rolling Stones from a marketing perspective.
“Be ready with backup plans. I love the Mike Tyson quote, ‘Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.’ You’ve got to be able to stick and move, expect the unexpected, and have a backup plan.”
Q1 | Tell us about your career path.
“It’s certainly been a fun ride,” Miesieski said while describing his 22 years marketing in the beer industry. Seven of the 22 years have been with SweetWater. Originally from New York, Miesieski moved to Atlanta for a change in pace and to accept a role with the brewery. The craft beer industry intrigued him and was ultimately where he wanted to end up.
Q2 | Is there any advice that you would like to share?
Miesieski advised that marketers should find a specific area or field that interests them. He also mentioned that marketers should broaden their scope beyond their industry or the field where they excel and incorporate something that brings them joy. “Even if you're in those fields or industries, make sure you drill it down into something that you are passionate about. I think that's really relevant for marketing.”
Bringing your passion into work and finding inspiration outside of your day to day is energizing and leads to more innovation.
Q3 | What is your Superpower?
Miesieski likes to bring a sense of positivity and optimism to his work. He believes that positivity is a hack to keep work fresh and exciting because “it keeps your team and agency partners engaged. If you're all striving ahead in a positive and optimistic way.” This enthusiastic energy is also beneficial if it comes through the brand because it creates fans. He continued, “You want consumers to see that positivity and optimism coming through in your brands.”
Q4 | Where do you find your inspiration?
He has a natural inclination towards creativity and enjoys using “the left side of the brain.” Miesieski shared, “When you can create and develop something out of nothing and bring it to life and bring it new to the world and see the fruits of your labor, that's really inspiring.”
Q5 | What values are important to you?
“I always like to say ‘be sails not anchors.’ No one likes the person in the room that’s just going to bring everybody down.”
To Miesieski, being a leader and the head of a team means he is also a defender and advocate. “Lead by example. Take the bullets if needed. My position with my team is: if stuff is hitting the fan, they know that I'm at the front lines.” Leading by example creates a trickle down effect for the team and they act accordingly.
In addition to acting as an example, he also looks for teamwork, positivity, optimism, and creativity from his team.
For more marketing leadership advice, and a view into the mindset of marketing executives in various industries, be sure to watch the full interview with Brian Miesieski, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.
Watch the full interview to the right.
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