What Will Stick With Me Most Leaving The Beverage Industry
Presented by Society Insurance
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By Danii Oliver
I’ve brewed hundreds of personally crafted fermented beverage recipes for beer, cider, kombucha, pulque, and more. I enjoyed my work very deeply for over 15 years. It fueled my mission to bring people together amidst the divide of discrimination. I especially loved my work brewing beverages and directly serving them to my customers, many of whom were celebrating life-changing moments or contemplating major decisions.
Not all moments were joyous. I recall a night when a woman roaming the streets of Brooklyn gravitated to my cozy little brewery from the glare of the wall sconces shining out the glass storefront. She came in to rest before walking home and doing the deed of ending her life.
I sat with her, listened to her pain, and served her one of my signature “Seed to Spirit'' flights as she talked. In the time we spent together that night at the bar; the connection we formed over four ounces each of green juice, kombucha, cider, and beer somehow stirred in her the intrigue to return once more. Perhaps it was the clarity provided by the gut-supporting bacteria in my drinks. Perhaps it was the exposed brick, handcrafted bar, and dim lights that provided creative inspiration. Perhaps it was my two ears lent to her without judgment when she needed it most.
I’ve learned through studying Improv that the who, what, and where all work together in the formation of our reality, our perspective, and our “why”. All the above led to a healing breakthrough for a woman who not only continued on with her life and musical career, she came back to the brewery performing multiple times in my taproom’s lounge for guests from all walks of life. The diversity and inclusion her music represented helped draw in and supported my mission to heal and bring people together in a city deeply segregated by every -ism created.
In this new reality, fear and propaganda have reshaped the worldview of many people in only months pushing us all further away from inclusive businesses and communities. Society has found a new -ism to divide us by exposing formerly private health information used as a basis for discrimination. The right to refuse service; the right to shame for nonconformity, are the ingredients in recipes for anti-inclusion.
Unfortunately, I can no longer do this kind of healing and inclusivity-building work due to burnout from old and new forms of discrimination. I miss being able to welcome outcast folks from all walks of life. I am burdened by my inability to take action to support those now suffering in silence from lost businesses, lost jobs, and lost gig opportunities. But, as Joshua Walbolt put it, “Things happen over time that can change your perspective on life and your dreams, that’s part of life.... Just make sure that the dream doesn’t give you nightmares”. The fact is, fighting discrimination and fear to earn a living is a nightmare I can no longer live in.
Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wis., Society Insurance has been a leading niche insurance carrier since 1915. As a mutual insurance company, Society focuses on the small details that make a big difference to its policyholders while offering top-notch insurance coverage, service and competitive pricing to businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia and soon Texas.
Woman smiling
Danii Oliver is a Texas based serial Entrepreneur in the farming, wellness, technology and consumer goods product industries such as craft beer and health beverages. Danii doesn’t just think up great ideas; Danii has been designing, testing, and developing products and services for over 20 years. Focused on the business to business supply chain. Danii has consulted for enterprise-level companies on their innovation needs, diversity and inclusion needs and new product launches. A great deal of Danii's expertises are based in the digital and interactive aspects of branding, marketing, advertising and entertainment.
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.
