Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Caiti Sullivan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Caiti, thanks for joining us today. Can you share a story that illustrates an important or relevant lesson you learned in school

I completed my Bachelor’s thesis in installation sculpture; a fine art field that could include any manner of artmaking including painting, woodworking, photography, videography, printmaking, etc, etc. I had a few wonderful professors who encouraged me to be open-minded to learning new skills, mediums, and disciplines.

Before college, I had never used a photography lab, built a website, operated printmaking machines, or used woodworking tools and saws. I learned to be open-minded, careful, and curious – asking questions and practicing the information I learned.

In that early artistic practice I learned to be earnestly curious and this is probably my greatest strength. It allows me to uncover and learn skills I need to operate my business, pursue creative products, try marketing ideas, and build and maintain my brewhouse. I know I don’t know everything – but I’m not afraid to ask for help, seek information, and try things. I’m much better off from learning to be curious.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the Head Brewer and Co-Founder of Coven Brewing, a microbrewery in Pittsburgh, PA producing small-batch craft beer and kombucha. I specialize in brewing IPAs and saisons, though Coven produces many styles of craft beer and we aim to offer something for everyone!

I have been making craft beverages for ten years, including commercially at a kombucha brewery, a farmhouse hard cidery, a midsize taproom brewery, and now, at Coven.

There are more craft brewers in America (and Pittsburgh) than ever before, with more breweries opening all the time. I am always pursuing adding high-quality, diverse beverage options to our menu so that all drinkers can find something to enjoy – whether they are avid beer fans, gluten-free drinkers, or folks looking for a great non-alcoholic beverage. Guests are looking for taprooms that present them with delicious, well-made options, and continuing to innovate and add products is one of Coven’s strengths.

As a partially woman-owned business, it is also important for us to look for ways to support women in our industry. We host regular educational and networking events for women working in beverage and participate in women-led industry organizations like the Pink Boots Society. Uplifting women is one of Coven’s core values and we are always looking for more ways to do so.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I opened my brewery Coven in a turnkey brewery with a lot of used equipment that was in place. Days before our official opening, an essential piece of beer-making equipment failed – our glycol chiller, equipment that is necessary for keeping beer at the right temperatures for fermentation, finishing, and packing beer to drink!

I had no idea how to fix it, or who to call. After some unsuccessful hours with a local HVAC company, I eventually turned to finding funding for a new glycol unit, choosing a new piece of equipment, and then shipping and installing the new piece of equipment back into our brewhouse. The process took a couple of months! I didn’t have financial reserves to wait to open the business or stall sales during the time we were waiting – so to make it through I borrowed a small restaurant chiller from a business owner friend and cooled our beer as best we could until the new unit came in.

I had to be very resourceful, use our remaining equipment in creative ways, troubleshoot, and ask for a LOT of help from industry peers. Through it all, Coven stayed open, I made some good beer, and our business survived a really trying time. I gained a lot of perseverance during that period – and I’m incredibly grateful for colleagues and guests who showed up to support us.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Atomic Habits by James Clear has impacted my life a lot. Developing steady habits has helped me be a more consistent communicator and helped streamline my workflow. In turn, this allows me to be more efficient at work, work better with our team and vendors, and have more time and energy for creative thought and the parts of my business I enjoy most.

In the past year, I’ve also read and reread How to Do Great Work by Paul Graham, a Co-Founder of Y Combinator. There are a lot of interesting ideas in this essay but above all Graham emphasises that to do great work in any field, you must be earnest and curious and I think about this essay on a regular basis.

Finally, in college, I read Linda Nochlin’s 1971 essay Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? I return to it from time to time; in the essay, Nochlin exposes structural barrieres to women in the creative fields that have prevented them from achieving their full potential in the art historical cannon. As a woman in a male-dominated field, it’s important to me to help create opportunities for other women to explore their potential, and this essay is always a good reminder to myself to look for ways to support women in my industry and pay it forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: covenbrewingpgh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coven.brewing/