Women Making Moves in the Bev-Alc Industry
An interview with Bridget Smith, Director of Operations at Origlio Beverage
What inspired you to pursue a career in the beverage industry?
I started out working in a large craft and import beer bar during college, and found I really enjoyed learning about and selling beer. That love for encouraging and educating people to step out of their comfort zones, in terms of what their idea of craft beer was, led me to work as a distributor sales rep. I’ve held a lot of other roles since then, but I still have that same love of encouraging people to step out of their comfort zones, just in different ways now.
Can you share a moment in your career that made you especially proud?
It’s hard to fully describe it as a moment, maybe it’s better referenced as a realization of a trend. I’m a big proponent of a good work culture and when I started in my role at Origlio, we were still in the midst of the pandemic and just starting to get our toes wet in the waters of what life might be like once the masks came off. Morale was a little touch and go, the labor crisis was making things tough, and I think we had all been treading water for a bit.
As we came out of it, and as our teams of managers and employees started to break down processes and promote transparency and accountability, things started looking up. It wasn’t a quick process, however slowly but surely, we really turned the tide on some major efficiency losses, and we all stopped looking quite as miserable and overwhelmed. I’m sure for every person who said they felt better, there were 10 that grumbled complaints, but you could see as a whole that our workers were happier, more willing to help out in a pinch for the team, etc. People started recommending to others that Origlio was a good place to work. That effort and teamwork continues to make me proud. We aren’t without our faults, but who is?
What challenges have you faced as a woman in the beverage industry, and how have you overcome them?
Though the challenges I’ve faced have been in the beverage industry, they are the same challenges that many women experience in their chosen fields. The two big hurdles are continually being underestimated and also having to navigate challenges in a very different manner than males do.
I don’t mind the first challenge, as I’ve learned that when people underestimate you, there is nothing more satisfying than showing someone just how capable you are. The test of whether that other person has grown or not is… will they still underestimate you?
The second challenge can certainly be more bothersome, but it’s not a new concept for women in the workplace to encounter. If you’re someone who wants to enact change, is direct about your goals, and you are a woman, some people are inclined to write you off as a nag, a complainer, pushy, or other derogatory terms. I’ve found that women (as opposed to their male counterparts) DO have to be more creative in our approaches and work much harder to make sure everyone is on our side before we can act. If you know that going into a situation, you’ll be less frustrated overall.
Have you seen a shift in opportunities for women in this space over the years?
In general, the beverage industry has really shed a lot of layers of its “boys club” persona and I think the opportunities are very widespread at this juncture. It’s SO MUCH better than it used to be, and we can only go up from here.
What advice would you give to women looking to enter the industry?
Know your worth. Listen and learn. You don’t know it all, and you’ll go much further admitting that from the start and owning your mistakes. Don’t let things get stagnant and don’t settle for “security” if you’re miserable, it’s just never worth it and I promise you’ll see that once you get to a better place. Leave a situation better than when you entered it. Give credit where credit is due. Don’t take credit for your team’s ideas, make sure you run those names and ideas up the flagpole, it’s important to give that credit and exposure.
What changes would you like to see in the industry to make it more inclusive for women?
Industry wide, I’d like to see more of an emphasis on promotion of the operations side of the business. Often when you attend conferences, there’s a lot of seminars about sales tactics, branding and marketing. I get it, it’s the more glamorous side of the business, but there are some major opportunities on the operations side too. We have so many different solutions with cutting edge technology, automation, equipment, software, and processes that we need to sift through and see if any of it makes sense in our business models. We juggle largely blue-collar workforces that put in a lot of hours and a lot of labor. Our goal is to always do our best to balance what is best for both the company and our workers. There is so much complexity and nuance and almost never any down time. At its core, operations is about finding solutions to problems and executing tasks more safely and efficiently. I think if it was highlighted more, it would encourage more women to take a look and see how well their minds and skill sets are suited to it!
Is there a woman in the industry who has inspired or mentored you?
I’m continually inspired when I hear stories from women who have tackled so much in their careers and have come out of it so pragmatic and confident in their self-worth. Any woman who has juggled family and career and found a healthy balance is a hero in my eyes and deserves props. It’s not easy.
If you could have a drink with any woman in history, who would it be and why?
I’m a pretty big comedy nerd, so I would like to have brunch and drinks with Lucille Ball, Carol Burnette, Wanda Sykes, Elaine Stritch, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Betty White, and Amy Poehler. Combined that’s a lot of decades in a genre that’s not always encouraged women’s participation, and I bet the stories would be tragic, hilarious, and amazing.