Ops Nerd Podcast - Building Independent Spirits and Hospiality Brands

16 Aaron Gregory Smith -- Executive Director of the USBG on Brand Philanthropy, Unions, Organizational Structure, and the National Charity Foundation.

S1E16
46:16
January 30th 2025

Aaron Gregory Smith started working in restaurants to get through school at the age of 18. He’s operated Managing Director for 5 years before accepting his current role as the first Executive Director of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. Since taking over in a management capacity, the USBG staff has expanded from 2 to 14 full-time employees and has experienced significant membership growth representing more than 40 communities nationwide.

In this episode, Aaron talks about donations for United States Bartenders’ Guild, how it is spent, how their guild helps not just community but other countries during crisis and disaster, application to get relief grants, its criteria, screening process, and the selection.

Be sure to check out https://www.usbg.org/ for more info.

Connect with Aaron through LinkedIN, Twitter or Instagram

The episode at glance:

[1:00] UBSG and Aaron's role at the moment

[1:50] Jameson donation to UBSG

[3:50] How UBSG helps community during crisis and disaster

[7:00] BEAP/NCF and UBSG comparison

[15:00] UBSG focus and role during coronavirus

[22:25] Is USBG involved in local state or politics?

[30:00] Application process for Bartender Emergency Assistance Program

[36:00] Screening process for the application

[41:00] advise to bartenders after COVID and how bartenders can help this time of the pandemic

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Questions, comments or thoughts please get in touch! I’m on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even TikTok…..I think. Or just head to my website http://jlittrell.com. You can even book a call through this link.

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Want a copy of my Banquet Event Order Template? Click here! How about my nerdy Cocktail Calculator?

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Current Library:

The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin [Audiobook]

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Weinberg on Writing (The Fieldstone Method) by Gerald M. Weinberg

This is Marketing by Seth Godin

Feeding Your Demons by Tsultrim Allione

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This podcast is recorded on a Blue Yeti Microphone with an ASUS Zenbook Road Rig: iRig Lavaliers and my one plus Android Smartphone with a Powered USB-C Hub and a Bluetooth Keyboard.

SocialBee - My social media automation and syndication software

Appsumo - Where I get all my amazing, cheap software for a lifetime.

Canva - Graphics for all of my memes, flyers, posts, logos, pitches, etc.

Fiverr - I hire a number of freelancers from Fiverr to handle things from web tasks, to show notes, to research projects, to data entry. Outsourcing baby!

NameCheap.com - Whenever I have an idea for a business, one of the first things I do is set up the domain name!

Hostwinds - This is my web host. This is vital to hosting your website. Having been through AWS and Hostgator, this is the move!

The Littrell Show

Tools, methods, and obsessions for building bars, businesses and brands produced by and for an ambitious bartender. This podcast is jam packed with information about how to turn your craft into a brand and a business. I interview my heroes to gain insight on their path from getting paid for what they do to getting paid for what they know.