The last time I spoke to Bryan and Shannon Milesthe entrepreneurial husband and wife team were in the process of transitioning leadership PROTECTa company dealing with distant team management, which they founded in 2010.
They have appointed a CEO to proceed running and growing their company, but sitting back and relaxing is not exactly in the couple’s DNA. So in this 2019 transition, they went ahead and took off NoFo Brew Coan concept that was given to them by co-founder Joe Garcia. Garcia showed them projections that showed it couldn’t only be quite a profitable business, but also enjoy life IRL. After so many years of working in the virtual space, Bryan and Shannon were excited to run a physical business. A spot that may function a hub for a community that enjoys serving tasty drinks. But almost as soon as the doors opened, the pandemic hit. As Bryan told Entrepreneur, “This is not the best way to start a new beverage business!”
But the couple and their team didn’t hesitate to make up for the losses. Instead, they adapted and survived. “We promised employees that we would find a way to ensure that no one lost their job and that everyone got paid,” Shannon says. They kept their promise, which helped employees in the short term and helped the company in the long run, ensuring incredible worker loyalty. The the first worker they hired five years ago is still on the team.
Fast forward to today, and the couple has expanded their business in significant ways – more locations, distilling their very own signature spirit – and in a huge way, becoming co-owners of two skilled European soccer teams, Walsall FC in England and Drogheda United FC in Ireland.
I spoke with Bryan and Shannon to learn the full story of how they went from pouring beer for the people of Georgia to pouring beer for 1000’s of offended soccer fans across the pond. Below are some highlights from this conversation.
Developing yourself consciously and responsibly
Shannon Miles: We’ve expanded to three locations in Georgia and do something most American craft breweries don’t do – we distill our own spirits. Many breweries say they do, but really they’re just slapping their label on an existing product. We make – vodka, gin, agave, rum, bourbon, orange liqueur. Our distillers are like mad scientists and we gave them a big sandbox to play in. One of our guys comes from a generation of distillers who was moonshiners, and he jokes with his family that he’s not operating legally.
Bryan Miles: If you look at American craft breweries today, there are between 7,500 and 8,500 of them in our country. Most of them have one location. We move at breakneck speeds in comparison with our competitors. Part of having the ability to grow is attracting and retaining talent. Only about 3 percent breweries offer advantages to employees. We offer advantages and have created a really beautiful culture – people want to come back and work here.
Loan: Andy Brophy, OneNine Images
Really, really big traffic
BM: In the summer of 2021, we sold a significant majority to a private equity firm in New York and accomplished the sale with a nine-figure exit. This created a liquidity event that allowed us to be the bank for NoFo’s expansion. We also had the opportunity to do other things, including becoming co-investors With Trivela Group in two football clubs in Europe: Walsall FC in England and Drogheda United FC in Ireland. It was amazing. Walsall FC was we began in 1888. We were the first Americans to speculate. There is a huge sense of management and responsibility to make sure the integrity of the stadium, but it is still as much as today’s standards.
MS: There is something beautiful and timeless about these clubs. They were going through difficult times and needed an injection of capital from outside, and we could help. This is very much in line with our approach to our investments. This combined with the undeniable fact that Bryan played football in college and has a great love for the sport made this an amazing opportunity. What matches higher than beer and football?
BM: Sponsoring these clubs is something natural for NoFo. Most American craft breweries cannot even get their beer there because they have to have somewhere to sell it. Well, we have a stadium where we will sell our beer because we are co-owners. This is a perfect Venn diagram.
Source: Bryan Miles
The Wrexham effect
BM: In May 2022 we purchased Walsall FC. And Wrexham, whose co-owners, as we know, are Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. We beat them in the second game! Wrexham performed brilliantly and are currently out of our league. There are many other American investors in these clubs, but for Ryan and Rob to be so public about their ownership was great. This brought a lot of visibility in the lower leagues. Premier League teams have their obvious huge fan bases around the world, and Wrexham has proven that individuals can fall in love with lower league teams too.
MS: There’s a huge sense of pride in being a part of it. Walsall looks like my hometown in Ohio. It’s very working class. These are individuals who are just hanging around and need to go to work great football match and have a nice time with friends. There’s something familiar about it, though they’re 1000’s of miles away.
Long-term game plan
BM: We will proceed to grow and invest where we will add value to others. This is the mantra by which we operate. And don’t get me mistaken, we had a few setbacks along the way. I’m not King Midas here! New opportunities come with risks, and we have trained our muscles to take calculated risks – there is no way we might have ever taken our beer to Europe if we hadn’t spent our 401k years ago. to ascertain BELAY.
MS: I filter latest opportunities that come to us through the filter: “Does this help us realize our vision?” This vision is that we are in love with each other and need to be near our kids when they grow up. New ventures can devour time and energy, so we only need to do things that contribute to creating life around us meaningful.