Helpfullnecessity: The Art of Connection
Presented by WeldWerks Brewing Co.
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By Jacob Schroeder
My prevailing attitude going into this industry was, “I’m just going to make people happy and hope that everything else works out. I’m going to be the best employee any employer could ever want. I’m going to make them miss me when I’m gone.” I never said no, I always turned the other cheek to sketchy situations and I pushed to learn as much as possible so that I could be ‘infinitely useful.’ My hope then was that someone would see the value in me and give back some measure of what I was putting in.
Well, this is a tough industry and I’m not naïve to the fact the common denominator for my entire career was me; a human who is very hardworking, reliably doing good work, but not perfect. Getting that return was a fleeting occurrence. A lot of what I got was chewed up and spit out in every way possible: physically, financially, emotionally, and mentally. I diligently honed my craft while also paying attention to what I would consider ‘how NOT to do things.’
Eventually, I realized that I was more useful to society than namelessly slaving away, executing someone else’s vision. I tried my hand at operating in a way that filled what I considered to be gaps in the dining experience. I set out to connect people. Connect people with the person preparing and serving the food, connect them to the people that produced the ingredients, connect them to the people that they are sharing their meals with. I hope that these connections open up opportunities to be present with the exact time and place that people are in and to promote the ability to get more out of life than the non-homogenous and quirky existence we live.
Much to my excitement, that approach seems to be working! My business is small, mighty, and successful enough that in a few short weeks I will be entirely self-employed.
Although I haven’t cut myself a paycheck for the two and a half years I’ve been in business on my own, I consider myself to be very successful simply because of the connections that I have personally made and helped to foster in the community around me. I’ve come full circle to that approach of making people happy, and everything else is falling into place.
Established in 2015, WeldWerks Brewing Co. is an award-winning craft brewery located in Greeley, Colorado recognized for brewing an array of beer styles including Juicy Bits, one of the most highly regarded IPAs in the country. WeldWerks has garnered numerous medals and acclaim on the way, including being named the best new brewery in the country by USA Today in 2016 and multiple medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. The brewery’s charitable arm, the WeldWerks Community Foundation, is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports local nonprofits through events like The WeldWerks Invitational.
After working stints in Des Moines, Denver, New York City, and staging in Chicago, Portugal, and Germany, Jacob Schroeder, Chef and Owner of Crafted Food Services has put his roots down near his hometown in Des Moines Iowa. Crafted Food Services mission is to make people happy through food by fostering an environment where people can make connections within their communities. From personalized cooking lessons to one of a kind private dinners to damn near anything you can think of that is food-related, Chef Jacob Schroeder aims to be the solution!
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Best Served. To achieve our mission of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing a variety of viewpoints across the industry.
