Life is Sweet
For a brief chapter in my life, I was one of three graphic designers at SweetWater Brewery in Atlanta, GA. Coming up in Atlanta in the 90s, I regarded SweetWater as THE top dawg in the craft beer scene for the South East. 420 Extra Pale Ale was my go-to beer for years not just for the taste, but also out of a deep love for my hometown. My wife and I would run to the store whenever a new Dank Tank dropped and buy several bottles at a time.
When I saw there was a design position open, I excitedly threw my name in the hat…and was rejected. Another year passed by, and I went all in for another opening. This time I made it past 400 hundred other applicants and actually landed a sweet gig as a beer drinkin’ pixel pusher among the ranks of some wacky, fun, creative, hard working folks.
As a huge fan of the brand, I had a deep case of “imposter syndrome” walking around the brewery in my first year. But as 2017 came to a close, I received the final dundee trophy (for all my NBC’s The Office fans) at the annual company party - the Unsung Hero award. Suddenly it hit me - I was actually “doing the damn thing.” My imposter syndrome had caused me to put my all into the job to prove to myself that I deserved it. What I hadn’t realized was that others had noticed too. I was giving this job my best because I had sought after it, earned it, and never wanted to lose it. I told myself I’d work at the brewery for at least five years. Then, as my wife and I added kids to the picture, we started to think of my job as a much longer phase of our journey. This company had seeped into our lifestyle, culture, and routine and I never would have done something to jeopardize the wonderful balance we had crafted together. In short, we described ourselves as a “SweetWater Family.”
Then in March 2020, our world turned upside down. Covid19 happened, and as we got deeper into the Spring of 2020, the world gradually began to shut down. Soon enough, I was grasping at straws trying to keep my job. The reality sunk in pretty fast that I would get laid off. All of the negative thoughts rushed in. What would we do about our 2-year old, baby on the way, car payments, mortgage, etc.?
Flash forward to the end of May 2020. We are all still here. We are healthy. My baby boy was delivered safely, and my wife recovered fast. Like so many others, we have drastically cut back our spending, lowered our expectations, and sheltered in place happily. Our relationship with the brewery came to an abrupt halt against my own free will, but I will always have “heady” memories of good beers, chill people, cool assignments, fun parties, and the night I earned a reward that opened my eyes to my full potential. I will miss my time working at the brewery very much. I truly enjoyed smelling the beer, watching the kegs roll by, and learning the industry from the independent, Atlanta staple, brewery perspective. My experience was 100 percent positive and pushed me to grow as a person, creative, and entrepreneur. Cheers SweetWater!