Kelly& Tom

An Inside Look - What HappensWhen Underdog’s Get Married

Plus:The Wild BreW Yonder

You’re Wired!JoY in The JourneY

Ex-Navy pilot Tony Clarke’s Airdale Breweryis Taking Off in San Diego

JAnuArY 2010

conTenTsJAnuArY 2009

FeATures

in everY issue This monTh’s columns

3

8

16

34

49

90

94

98

106

From the Publisher

Reader’s Feedback

Hedging Your Bets

Underdogs to Watch

Home Run Hits

Heart of the Matter

Event Calendar

FAQ’s

Golden Nuggets

4 The Wild Brew YonderEx-Navy pilot Tony Clarke’s Airdale Breweryis taking off in San Diego.

17 You’re Wired! (and that’s a good thing)Making the DISC Profilework for you & your business.

36 Kelly & Tom - A Joint VentureAn inside look - What happenswhen Underdog’s get married.

65 Joy in the JourneyOne of the great benefitsyou don’t want to miss!

24 Life CoachWhat’s in your way?

430 Words of Wisdom

Advice from expert entrepreneurs.

26 The Next StepBuilding yourdream team.

39 Keeping theBalanceHow does Itall fit in?28 Window Into the Past

Tell me how they did it!

Kelly& Tom

An Inside Look - What HappensWhen Underdog’s Get Married

Plus:The Wild BreW yonder

your Wired!Joy in The Journey

Ex-Navy pilot Tony Clarke’s Craft Beersare Taking Off in San Diego

JAnuAry 2009

Kelly & Tom [36]

The Wild Brew Yonder [4]

You’re Wired! [17]

Joy in the Journey [65]

on The cover

2 AmericAn UNDERDOG

As PuBlishers’ oF AmericAn underdog mAgAzine, we believe one of the greatest compliments a person can receive is to be told, “You have inspired me.” American Underdog is not just a ‘How To’ guide for entrepreneurs. It is a reminder that no matter what the odds are, no matter who has counted you out, no matter how outmatched you may feel, you can succeed! Most successful entrepreneurs will admit one of their greatest obstacles was themselves. It was their own fear and doubt. At American Underdog, we believe a map is of no use if you can’t envision making the journey. Our hope is that you will allow us to make the journey with you. And when you are tired or feel discouraged American Underdog will be there to remind you, you are not alone.

Every issue will spotlight the lives of individuals who, like you, have chosen to live life on their own terms. We are not just a community of dreamers and achievers. But, the reality is success is a team sport. By being there for each other we will all soar to greater heights. Along the way we will celebrate the victories of other American Underdogs and learn from their stories.

If you are just beginning your journey or find yourself in the midst of it, don’t turn back. If you feel like there is no one in your corner, don’t give up. We are here to help-we are American Underdog!

Chris Steele Bill FowlerPublisher Publisher

PuBlishersfrom the

3AMERICAN underdog

4 AmericAn UNDERDOG

The visuAl conTrAsT is drAmATic. The desert of Iraq with its vast, empty, oftentimes featureless terrain, versus San Diego’s com-plex grid of roads and developments, softened by the cobalt blue of the ever-present Pacific Ocean. Worlds apart and yet, in the mind of Tony Clarke, landscapes that have presented him with similar challenges.

As a Navy helicopter pilot in Iraq, Lieutenant Clarke had to be all business. He had to be confident of the condition of his helicopter and trained for any and all eventualities. Clarke had been schooled by the Navy in how to manage his crew, how to deal with stress, and how to navigate with unerring accuracy.

As an entrepreneur, Tony knew he wanted to gain the same level of control over his business, that he had over his helicopter. His military training had allowed him to maximize the odds of his survival. So, after retiring from the Navy, Clarke set out in business with the same methodical approach. Before he even decided on what specific business he would pursue, he began taking courses with SCORE (the ‘Service Corp of Retired Executives’). When he decided to become a ‘Craft Brewer’, he immediately sought out specific training in the art and science of brewing.

As soon as he launched Airdale Brewing however, Tony came face to face with a big difference between the Navy and life as an American Underdog. A helicopter pilot is not the chief mechanic, or crew chief, or air traffic con-troller. But an entrepreneur often wears many hats: chief financial officer, marketing guru and production manager, to name a few.

Clarke took on this latest challenge eagerly. Excited by the varied knowledge he was gaining and passionate about the products he envisioned developing, he felt destined for success.

Then Tony ran into another important difference between military and business objectives – money! In the military the avail-ability of funds is not an impediment to reaching your goals. After all, the U.S. Government is backing you. But an entrepreneur needs to be financially creative just to get their idea ‘air-born’.

Again Clarke persevered, managing to obtain funding from a handful of investors, which included family and friends. Those funds enabled him to take off a few hats (he hired a brewmaster and a salesman) and to have the time to design and distribute marketing materials and make enough sales to keep his head above water.

Tony acknowledges making his fair share of mistakes, especially in the area of personnel. But, he chalks it all up to what he calls “the learning curve.” Airdale’s first sales manager, for example, did ev-erything well - except make sales. “I learned a valuable lesson. Sales

people need to perform!” Today Airdale has several products on the market, and the

reviews are positive. Airdale Brewing expects to see at least a 300% increase in their second full year. Still Clarke knows it’s not quite time to celebrate. For the next few years he and his wife Liz expect to be living more like ‘college kids’ than business owners. But, they have both ‘bought in’ to the Airdale Brewing business plan, which foresees a day when they will be able to scale back their involve-ment and truly enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Tony’s vision includes a 10,000 square foot brewery with the capacity to brew popular items like pale ale in large quantities, and a smaller ‘pilot’ brewing set-up for testing new recipes and creating seasonal brews. The Airdale facility would also be large enough to house a small retail store for walk-in customers.

Clarke counts as a major success several of his beers being fea-tured at Carlsbad’s Pizza Port – recently named the Brew Pub of the Year in California. Among a variety of interesting and identifiable tap handles, the Airdale tap stands out. It features a single plane pro-peller, with the name of the specific brew inscribed down its length.

It’s an attractive, unique design, but will it fly?

gAining ground?From The Air ABove sAn diego Tony can see the terrain in which he will have to do battle with his competitors. While recent statistics show that the beer industry in general has seen a drop in sales, sales of craft beers are still up. Clarke sees this as the maturing of the brewing industry. The standard, light lagers of the ‘Big Three’ beer makers have become almost a commodity, a generic product that Americans may buy, but are not passionate about. Like coffee, the real growth has been in the artisan, craft brewed areas. The products are of better quality, sell for more, and can potentially earn higher profits.

If all goes to plan the facility that Clarke will build in the next few years, will have the capacity to brew up to 20,000 barrels. This would move Airdale into the ‘Microbrewery’ category. While the cost of the facilities will impact the bottom line, it will also allow

success Begins WiTh survivAl

TheWildBrewYonderAirdAle BreWing comPAnY

ex-nAvY PiloT TonY clArke’s crAFT Beers Are TAking oFF in sAn diego

excited by the varied knowledge he was gaining and passionate about the products he envisioned

developing, he felt destined for success.

5AMERICAN underdog

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Airdale to earn more profits on its product line – as they will no longer have to contract with another brewer to produce their beer.

Having their own brewery will also enable Airdale to focus on creating brews that fit the niche that Clarke has identified – beers that are known as the perfect complement to good food.

“That’s what I am striving for, in my beer,” Clarke says, “beers that can both stand on their own, and yet are the perfect comple-ment to certain foods. A good meal can be a great meal with the right beer,” he says. Beer as more than a thirst-quenching cheap buzz, but instead as part of an overall culinary experience is a rela-tively new concept for Americans, but something that has long been accepted in Europe, Clarke says.

Personally, Tony won’t name any other brewers’ products that he enjoys above all others, but instead admits to being excited about sampling anything new that he comes across.. He does remember he was first inspired to become a brewer by the early creations of Boston Beer. “Sam Adams has become quite a success since then,” he says, “but when I first encountered their products they were not much larger than a microbrewery”.

Upon retirement from the Navy, Tony considered many different business opportunities, while experimenting with home brewing. Then he had the kind of experience that many entrepreneurs have - that moment when the right business appears before them.

“One weekend I joined some friends for a tour of a brewery in San Diego, and the man giving the tour suddenly turned to us and said ‘anybody can do this!’ I felt like he was talking right to me. Something just clicked and I knew right then.”

“It’s a cliché, but you always hear people say, ‘pursue something that you’re passionate about’,” Clarke says. “While I believe that is true, what is equally important is that you pursue something you feel you are well suited for.”

While Clarke says he doesn’t know exactly how things will unfold, it doesn’t matter. He loves what he’s doing. “I enjoy all aspects of this business and I think it’s telling that when I talk to other people about what I do, they all sound envious.” He also admits that apart from working ‘in beer’, its hard to explain to others exactly what he does – which might be the most accurate way to describe an entrepreneur.

“I do a little bit of everything,” Tony says. “But for now I’m too busy working to worry about titles.”

TAking oFF!There Are cerTAinlY Those who set out to create a business empire: people that believe they have a unique idea that will change the world. But there are also those entrepreneurs who feel blessed to simply pursue their passion every day.

Tony Clarke is the latter. He enjoys the idea that he is taking on a few ‘billion-dollar companies’– David’s craft beers versus Goli-ath’s mass-produced light lagers. But, he takes the most pleasure in the day-to-day challenges that he faces as a business owner. An entrepreneur’s life is certainly never dull. Every hour of every day he faces a new challenge.

“That’s one of the hardest things about owning your own busi-ness – knowing when to focus on one issue and when to move on. You don’t want to get bogged down in the details, but success is often found in the littlest things,” Tony notes.

The little details have included Airdale’s image. Tony was

tempted to take off another hat - go outside the company and find a professional designer. But, instead he designed all of the artwork for his artisan brews, for his tee shirts and mugs, and designed Airdale’s unique beer tap handle as well.

“I just thought it was important that my vision for Airdale be translated directly into the image that is presented to the world. It was a lot of work, but now when I look at my promotional materials I know that this is the image I want out there. This is the image that represents me and my passion for this business – not just an idea from an advertising agency.”

Airdale’s wheels have lifted off the ground and it is hurrying down the runway. It needs to get altitude. It needs to climb. Watch-ing from the ground friends, family and a few thousand beer drink-ers urge it skyward. Watching from the ground you feel an involun-tary tug, your body twists and you lift a leg as if you could physically help Tony and Liz up and into the air. You just can’t help but root for a business like Airdale, and people like Tony: people willing to give everything they have for their dream!

TonY clArke: Founder of Airdale Brewing Co.

7AMERICAN underdog

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