Do What Makes You Happy: Interview with Jim Koch, Founder of Samuel Adams

Several years ago, I interviewed Jim Koch in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Jim is the co-founder the Boston Beer Company, the creater of Samuel Adams beer. Here is an excerpt from our conversation:

Adam: What is something about you that would surprise people?

Jim: I think people are always surprised to learn how involved I am on a day-to-day basis. I am lucky in that I get to do what I love every day. I still taste every batch of Boston Lager that leaves our brewery and am involved in every new beer our brewers dream up.

People are surprised when they hear that I travel every year to Germany to hand-select the noble hops that go into our beers because I am so obsessed with the quality of the ingredients that go into our beers.

Adam: What are your hobbies and how have they shaped you?

Jim: Brewing beer is my hobby! Seriously, my job is very time-consuming so I don’t have a lot of time to pick up new hobbies. I am a 6th generation brewer and started brewing in my kitchen 35 years ago using my great-great grandfather’s recipe for Boston Lager. I’ve been living my passion every day since.

When I’m not brewing (or drinking) beer, I love to be with my family, kayak, and spending time outdoors (before I became a brewer I was an Outward Bound instructor).

Adam: How did you get here? What failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Jim: I’ve experienced my fair share of setbacks, but I think failures are necessary to finding success. One example was when I first started Sam Adams, distributors didn’t want to take on my beer. Boston Lager was different than the beers they were used to – it wasn’t pale yellow but rather was full flavored and had a rich color, t. The rejection forced to me to take on the challenge of bringing it to market on my own, which has become a pillar of my career.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Jim: Effective leaders delegate and trust the other leaders in the organization to do a great job. At The Boston Beer Company, I spend the majority of my time where I add the most value and that is focusing on our company culture and brewing the best beer possible.

Training is so important, and at The Boston Beer Company, we invest a lot of time and money to train our people. Someone once asked me “Jim why do you spend so much money on training for people who may end up leaving.” My response was “But what if we didn’t train them and they stayed?”

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Jim: Do what makes you happy, not what you think will make you money. If you’re doing something that you really love, you may not get rich, but you’ll be happy. I certainly didn’t start Sam Adams to get rich, and I could never have predicted how drinkers would embrace my beer. My original 5-year business plan was to eventually sell $1 million worth of beer, get to having eight employees, and pay myself a salary of $75,000. I expected to be a local – and happy – craft brewer. I never could have imagined my beer would have started the craft beer revolution that we are experiencing today.

Start with a great product, and the rest will fall behind. You have to focus on quality first and foremost because all the clever packaging, branding, or marketing in the world won’t overcome an inferior product.

Constantly ask, “How can I do this better?” Because the status quo sucks. The status quo only exists because we haven’t yet figured out a way to be better. There isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not thinking about experimenting or trying to be more open to new ideas both in business and life.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Jim: When I first decided to start my own brewery, my father gave me the best business advice I have ever received along with our family beer recipe, which drinkers now know as Samuel Adams Boston Lager. He said to focus on the quality of the beer over all else: “Make a good beer, and don’t worry about the marketing. People drink the beer; they don’t drink the marketing. Don’t get distracted. Just worry about the beer.” I promised him I would. My Dad’s advice was, and is, core to the success of Sam Adams, and continues to guide how we brew our beers and operate our brewery. Above all else, focus on the beer and focus on quality.

Adam: How can anyone pay it forward?

Jim: People want to do business with companies that give back and pay it forward and I always recommend doing so in a way where you are real value when looking at their philanthropic initiatives. Business owners and entrepreneurs particularly should ensure not only their own success but also the success of their industry overall. To support the food and beverage industry, we provide loans and business coaching to small business owners and fellow brewers through our Brewing the American Dream program (including 52 loans to 43 small craft breweries totaling over $2 million). We have shared hops during shortages and even support homebrewers through our LongShot American Homebrew Competition.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Jim: I’d like to share a beer! I’ve always said, and I still believe that good beer will continue to succeed, and I look forward to continuing to brew the best beer possible using the highest quality ingredients.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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