Hey, thanks for coming to my session!
I'm Julie Rhodes — and if you're here, you either just sat through one of my CBC sessions or someone who did sent you this link. Either way, welcome. Everything I promised you is on this page.
Scroll down for your free resources and a few ways to keep working together after Philly.
What I Covered This Week
Rethinking Social Media: Building a Digital Marketing Mix That Drives Sales
The one-hour session on why relying on a single platform you don't own or control is a liability — and how to build a digital marketing ecosystem that actually converts. Social media has a role. It's just not the only role. If your entire marketing strategy lives on Instagram, this session was a wake-up call. The good news: the fix is more straightforward than you'd think.
Scrappy to Scalable: A Real-World Sales System for Distributed Beverage Brands
The two-hour distribution sales workshop. If you were in the room, you know this was not a theory session — we built actual systems together. If you weren't there and someone sent you this link, the short version is: most craft brands are selling on instinct instead of strategy, and instinct doesn't scale. The Strategic Sales Starter Toolkit spreadsheet from the session is linked below — grab it and start using it this week while it's still fresh.
Everything promised. Right here.
The Bottleneck Free industry insight, delivered to your inbox
If the sessions gave you something useful, The Bottleneck is where that energy lives year-round. Occasional emails with industry trends, straight talk on what's actually working right now, tools you can steal, and the occasional reality check. Thousands of craft beverage pros are already in there.
No spam. No sales lists. Just useful stuff when I have something worth saying. Plus you get a bunch of FREE growth tools.
Free Brand Identity Quiz Find out what your brand actually sounds like
A custom brand archetype analysis — the same framework I use with one-on-one consulting clients. Fill out a short form, I analyze your responses manually, and send you a Brand Identity Summary with your archetypes, what they mean for your marketing, and specific next steps.
Takes 5 minutes. Results within 3-5 business days.
Free SEO Report Find out how your brewery shows up online
Enter your URL and I'll run a full audit of your local search presence — speed, mobile, keywords, on-page SEO — plus a plain-English summary of what to prioritize first. Most craft beverage brands have no idea what their customers see before they walk in the door.
Results within 3-5 business days.
This Is Not Your Hobby the Podcast
If you liked the sessions, you'll love the podcast.
This Is Not Your Hobby is a biweekly podcast for craft beverage operators who are done guessing and ready to get strategic. Every episode tackles a real Bottleneck — a specific, recurring problem that slows down growth or steals profit — with practical strategies, plain-English breakdowns, and the occasional industry expert who actually knows their stuff.
The distribution and digital marketing topics from this week's CBC sessions have entire episodes dedicated to them. Good place to start if you want to go deeper.
No recycled MBA jargon. Sarcasm included. Free forever.
When you're ready to take it further.
Barrel 2 Business Collective
Best starting point · Most affordable
Live monthly group coaching, 4+ years of recorded content, templates, tools, and a community of craft beverage pros working through the same stuff you are. Your whole team gets access for one price.
$39.99/month · No contracts · Cancel anytime
One-on-One Consulting
Highest impact · Limited availability
Fractional strategic consulting for brands ready to make real moves. I work with 4-6 brands at a time — you get real attention, not a template. We build the strategy together, work through your data, and I get in the trenches with you on execution.
Starting at $2,000/month · 3-6 month minimum
Punch Card & Courses
Flexible · No commitment
Need something specific without a long-term commitment? Grab a punch card for ad-hoc hourly consulting or browse the online course library for targeted skills training.
Courses From $18-$499
Punch card $500 for 4 hours
In case we didn't get to meet in person.
I'm Julie Rhodes — strategic beverage business consultant, educator, keynote speaker, journalist, and co-founder of Kick Fizz, a low-dose hemp-derived THC beverage brand. I've spent 20+ years on the business side of this industry and I built Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions to give craft brands access to the kind of strategic thinking that used to be reserved for brands with big budgets.
I work with 4-6 consulting clients at a time. I also run a group coaching program, teach at the university level, and speak at industry conferences — including, apparently, this one.
If you want the full story 👇
Still in Philly? Come say hi.
I'm around for the whole conference — sessions, trade show floor, wherever the good conversations are happening. If you want to connect in person, shoot me a note at julie@notyourhobbymarketing.com or find me on the social things, especially LinkedIn. I’m not hard to find. But if you’re curious about working together or ready to just dive in, go ahead a book some time with me. I’m not scary, I promise.
