When did you first find community? What led you to it?

In this interview of the Creator Spotlight Series, I had the chance to speak with her about doing it scared, being a black woman in the craft beer space, the community she’s found, and the reshaping of her idea of community.

Note: This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can find the full video interview here.

How did you get into craft beer?

When I first moved to Atlanta 10 years ago, I was working at this brand new restaurant, and they had all the employees try everything on the menu because we had to be able to explain it to the guests. So it was the bar day and they had some beer on the menu. I tried the Atalana, a plum saison by Orpheus Brewing. And from that very first sip, my interest was piqued. I never would have imagined beer being so good.

From that initial experience, how did you expand your knowledge base of beer? It’s easy to stick to something you like, but clearly you wanted to see there was more out there.

It was really just trying things honestly. I initially didn’t know about actual beer shops and bottle shops back then, so I was just like going to Kroger, and they have an area where you can build your own six-pack. So I’d bring those home and try them with friends, and it just organically grew from that.

My four things to hit whenever I’m going somewhere new are a bookstore, a museum, a thrift shop, and then I added breweries to the list. So locally and when I traveled, I just continued to learn, be willing to try new things, and expand my palate.

So from there, how did you start Crazy Sexy Craft and begin to put yourself out there? 

I initially started just going to breweries, going to bottle shops, and talking to more people about it. As far as CSC, I remember I was talking to my best friend, Brittany, and she’s this super creative person. 

I was telling her that I wanted to make this beer thing, you know, an actual thing. And I was already playing around with the name, so once she said she was rocking with the name, that’s kind of what stamped it for me. But I’ve really continued to put myself out there by just always being a student, talking to people, and actively looking to learn.

I’m trying to do more beer festivals and meet more people in the space. I feel like people who love beer love talking about beer. Like for me, everything’s just organic. There’s no rush, but you know, just a slow and steady build.

Last June, you participated in your very first pitch competition hosted by Crafted for Action. First of all, what is Crafted for Action? And then how did you find out about it? And what was that whole experience like?

Crafted for Action is a platform that was created by Jen Price. She’s a literal angel. She’s the first black woman that I really saw in the beer space doing really cool things. So Crafted for Action, CFA for short, is all about really creating these amazing events that are for people — not just in craft beer, but just craft beverages as a whole.

So every year they have this conference, and part of the conference was a fellowship program. And I found out about that just by following Jen on Instagram. She had posted about it and I was like, okay like it sounds like something I’d be interested in, so I applied and I got selected.

I was so nervous to even apply, but I did it. “Do it scared,” they say. It was an amazing experience overall.

Was that your first time ever doing a pitch?

Ever! My whole family came down from Jersey to see me pitch and everything, but it was a really good time. It just felt good to talk about something that I’m genuinely passionate about and get to share that with people outside of my immediate circle. I was nervous, like literally shaking in my boots. It really sinks in once you get there and you look into the crowd and you see your family. And it’s just like, my God, this is happening. But I’m so happy I did it.

For sure. So what was the fellowship program like? What did you learn?

We started to meet after the pitch competition and conference, and we met once a month for eight months. We got to learn from some real heavy hitters in the craft beverage space. And it’s just always cool to connect with people who share a similar passion. So it was really all good things. Like even to this day, those of us who are local to Atlanta still meet up and do different things together. But the fellowship itself was really cool.

What would you say is like the coolest thing that you’ve done like in the craft beer space?

That’s a good question. Honestly, and this might sound so cheesy, but I feel like just being in this space still and will always be the coolest thing that I’ve done. I’m young, I’m black, and I’m a woman, so when you think of beer, you don’t think of me. So I really feel like just being in the space and showing people that beer is for everyone and changing people’s perceptions or like ideas of what they think beer should look like or who should enjoy beer.

Outside of yourself, what is the coolest thing that you’ve experienced externally since you’ve been in the space?

There are so many cool things, honestly. I think the coolest would have to be the light bulb going off in people’s heads and being able to experience their “oh shit” moment because it brings me back to my very first time of trying the Atalanta.

Like I said, I love seeing people go from beer skeptics to beer-lievers. So I think that’s the coolest part of all of this, honestly, is just being able to usher people into something new. Like that’s my mission.

Has learning more about craft beer taught you about anything else in life? And if so, what was it?

I feel like more than anything, it’s just really expanded my mind on the idea of community and what it means to be in community. Like I said before, the craft beverage community in general here in Atlanta is so special.

I’ve met phenomenal people, especially black women in this space. Everyone’s just super kind, super supportive and shows up for each other. So I say that’s the one thing that I feel like getting into craft beer has, maybe not taught me, but reaffirmed my belief in and has helped me develop a deeper appreciation for a community.

Like the beer is really just the conduit, right? I feel like a lot of times people are into things. It’s like the thing is just the conduit to like something bigger. And I really do feel like beer is just like, you know, like the thing that gets you to your tribe.

If someone were to ask you, “what should I try?” or “how do I start finding new beer to try?”, what advice would you give them?

As far as beer, I would say start with a shandy. Shandy is going to be equal parts beer and juice. A lot of times it’ll be like lemonade. So I always recommend starting with a shandy or a radler. They’re really good starter beers and are perfect for summer days.

Other than that, I would say start with anything on the lighter side. Pilsners and lagers are gonna be a little bit lighter. A lot of times you can find fruity sours. But other than that, like outside of the actual beer, I would say just get out there. Get into the real world, go to festivals, talk to people, try things. 

People who are passionate about something, they like to talk about it. So look for where those people are. You never know what you’ll discover.

Makes sense. I know you earlier described yourself as a tourist in the sense of not rushing the process, but do you have a “what’s next” in mind for CSC? Where are you in your journey?

I’m curating a beer cart here in Atlanta next month, which I’m really excited about. And finally, studying to get my level one certification to become a certified beer server. I’ve been really procrastinating, but it’s coming.

I’m excited to see what comes of it. Is there anything else that you would want to leave the audience with?

I’ll say some of the things that I’ve been telling myself lately, and I already mentioned it a bit, but really just try new things. You’ll be so surprised at what you discover when you have an open mind and you’re just willing to try things and learn things. Trust yourself, trust your process, trust your pace, trust the style in which you do things. The things you do in this world are uniquely yours, and you don’t really have to fit into a box.

Like I said, I really am a “slow and steady wins the race” type of person. The sense of urgency a lot of times truly is not real. So just take a deep breath and trust that things are gonna come together at the time they’re supposed to. Just enjoy it.