We had the good fortune of connecting with Bryant Vander Weerd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bryant, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
There were a few deciding factors into starting my own business. First and foremost was that I wanted to serve the industry I care about and respect so much – the scrappy world of craft brewing. I wanted to offer my services to directly benefit the breweries I had come to enjoy so much over the years.

The second factor was the birth of my daughter. I wanted to have more control over my own income level and workload to be able to provide and be present for her while also engaging in work that I love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career started out in TV news. I was convinced I would retire a TV news videographer. Obviously that didn’t end up happening but my time in the newsroom was pretty integral in shaping how I do business now. I gained a love for storytelling through my camera lens, and storytelling is now at the core of what I do with Full Pour Media.

I got to work with a ton of super talented videographers when I worked in news who mentored me and shaped me. I won three Emmy awards for my videography and editing work while in news as well, and that award-winning mindset also permeates my work with Full Pour. Winning awards isn’t WHY we do what we do, but it’s a good indication of the quality we are putting out for our clients.

Challenges and lessons still present themselves every day. Rather than focus on one particular lesson or challenge, I can say this – I’ve learned to reframe my mindset around failures and setbacks. Things happen, stuff goes wrong, that’s for sure. But I no longer look at it as just a crappy situation that I need to get out of ASAP. Sitting in the situation, leaning INTO the situation, and taking at least one “growth point” from it has helped me a ton. What will I do differently next time? How will I grow from this setback? Why am I a better businessman for experiencing this failure?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Alright, let’s say we’re in a post-COVID world…

– Got to have a beer at one of the neighborhood breweries near me: Copper Kettle or Comrade

– Rockies game

– Red Rocks show

– Hike Flatirons or somewhere easy because most of my friends aren’t used to the altitude

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Tristan Chan has been such a great friend and mentor in the craft beer space. Ever since we met we’ve related to each other on so many different levels and it’s been awesome working alongside him through many different projects.

My wife Lisa has been an integral part in all of this as well. She supports me on a deeply personal level, she cheers me on, and she’s a great sounding board when I need someone else to talk with about anything.

Business-wise, I’ve got to shout out Mike Janda and the killer advice he gives out that helps me become a better business owner.

Website: www.fullpourmedia.com

Instagram: @fullpourmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/fullpourmedia


Image Credits
Karen Mills

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