After over a decade of practicing law, Michael Peticolas left bailiffs and briefcases behind for barely and brews (at least that's what he thought) when he opened Peticolas Brewing Company in 2010. In the first year, Michael and wife, Melissa, were the sole brewers, sales reps, and distributors and they still managed to win gold at the Great American Beer Festival …and again in their third year. In 2013 Peticolas was elected to the board of directors of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. Shortly after, the board elected Peticolas as co-chair of the legislative committee, which has been integral to changing Texas laws that have long hindered craft brewerys. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: "We don't want to be big, we want to be great." In today's episode with Michael Peticoles we will discuss: Don't try to be bigger, try to be better Passion for beer Branding When do you know a skill can become a business No hesitation! Learn as much as you can about business before opening one Writing a proper business plan Establish core values BEFORE formulating a business plan Your company should directly reflect your own values Avoiding the corporate structure Have a dialogue with your guests Honest, friendly, down-to-earth Genuine values are key Self-funding a restaurant/brewery opening Creating a market  Attention to details Fighting for your industry Today's sponsor: BentoBox empowers restaurants to own their presence, profits and relationships. The hospitality platform disrupts third-party services that come between the restaurant and the guest. BentoBox puts the restaurant first and offers tools that drive high-margin revenue directly through the restaurant’s website. BentoBox is trusted and loved by over 5,000 restaurants worldwide including Union Square Hospitality Group, Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Lilia and more. Gusto offers modern, easy payroll, benefits, and HR to small businesses across the country — they were even named best online payroll by PCMag. And as a listener, you’ll get three months free when you run your first payroll. Sign up and give it a try at Gusto.com/unstoppable.  Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Unconventionality What is your biggest weakness? My knees What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Understanding of who we are, what we want to do, and an internal drive What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Competition Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Have fun What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Treat everybody like family What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? Take time AWAY from work Name one service you've hired. Method: CRM What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? Method: CRM If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Honest Friendly Down-to-earth Contact info: Website: www.peticolasbrewingcompany.com Instagram: @peticolasbrewing Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Michael Peticolas for joining me for another a