While we are one family here at Dogfish Head, creativity abounds – and with that artistic spirit comes many ways of interpreting our set of beliefs. In this entry we asked coworkers from across the company some questions about what off-centered goodness, the power of creativity and showing up authentically means to them.
What does “off-centered” mean to you?
Andrew Greeley, General Manager at Dogfish Head’s Brewings & Eats
To me, off-centered can’t be defined. In a world that always wants to label everything, we at Dogfish Head march to the beat of a different drum. Disrupting the status quo and subverting the dominant paradigm puts light in our eyes and fire in our bellies. Off-centered is about showing up as your authentic self – fully, unapologetically, as an individual. Henry Rollins – writer, actor, comedian, and former lead singer of Black Flag – wrote in his essay Iron and the Soul: “I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.”
This … is being off-centered. So, what is it that you want out of YOUR life?
Tom Clark, Financial Planning & Analysis Lead
Off-centeredness to me is rooted in the Emerson quote and specifically the line “He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness.” It’s all about exploring the fringes of what brings you joy and finding it for yourself versus letting all the outside forces in this world prescribe it for you.
Michael Weinacht, Taproom Assistant Manager at Dogfish Head’s Milton Brewery & Tasting Room
I don’t feel there is one answer to this question; rather, there are many.
Being in hospitality, I look at our mantra of “off-centered goodness for off-centered people” and recognize it as a call and response. We produce beverages and experiences that break boundaries and challenge the status quo as a call to all those who want to seek, explore, and discover all that goodness has to offer.
The response is a community who takes up this mantra and shares in the pursuit of perfection, realizing that we may just be slightly off (centered) but recognizing and appreciating that same pursuit in each and every one of us.
It’s a call to strive, grow, and sometimes fail, and the response is that we will meet you where you are because, together, we are.
To me, being off-centered is about community – and together we are community.
Where do you draw creative inspiration from?
Desiree Foxwell, Senior Manager of Merchandise Strategy & Planning
On the where do I draw inspo ... everywhere. It sounds cliché, but once you start tuning into shifts, whether in art, consumer behavior, or culture, you begin to see them repeat and evolve across different spaces. Inspiration comes from constantly observing, connecting, and staying curious about what’s changing and why.
Chris Wines, Manager at Milton Brewery Warehouse
Seeing how much time, passion, and effort that goes into every case we make helps drive inspiration at work. So many great coworkers put that creative goodness to work in order to get us to the final finished product. My team then moves it to shipments to our customers. That ranges from full truck loads to distributors, down to every single case found in our tasting room or Brewings & Eats, even those single cans enjoyed around the fireside chats at the INN. The feeling of passing the baton from our coworkers to our customers helps drive the motivation and ensures we make it happen – rain, sleet, or snow!
Cara Digby, Assistant General Manager at Dogfish INN
Necessity is a big driver of creative inspiration for me. My brain loves to work out solutions, solve problems, and create better ways to get things done.
Michael Weinacht, Taproom Assistant Manager at Dogfish Head’s Milton Brewery & Tasting Room
I draw creativity from my love of learning, and being exposed to new ideas and finding how they may be morphed to complement existing worldviews and ideas. I believe learning is the catalyst for creativity.
What does creativity mean to you?
Desiree Foxwell, Senior Manager of Merchandise Strategy & Planning
For me, creativity is about noticing signals ... cultural, aesthetic and behavioral, and making unexpected connections between them.
Kristie Lankford, Executive Assistant
Creativity is the use of imagination to go beyond your expectations and understanding of what things are or could be and to see even ordinary things in a way you hadn’t considered before.
Cara Digby, Assistant General Manager at Dogfish INN
To be creative is to be able to see what's in front of you and know that it can be something more, something better, something different, etc.
How do you bring your authentic self and creativity to work at Dogfish Head?
Tom Clark, Financial Planning & Analysis Lead
I like to think I bring a perspective to our team that may be a little wonky or unconventional but adds new kind of value and maybe inspires others to find their own creative solutions.
Kristie Lankford, Executive Assistant
I’m a big fan of efficiency, so I’m always trying to keep out of the mindset of how we’ve always done things and look for new ways to communicate or problem solve. And I appreciate our culture of self-expression, whether it’s speaking up with a new idea, bringing your own personal style, or living your values. Our differences make us stronger, the status quo sucks, and together we are heavy.
Chris Wines, Manager at Milton Brewery Warehouse
The culture at Dogfish is one that challenges the status quo. We share ideas (not always good, and we laugh about later), collaborate between departments, and come up with some astonishing accomplishments. Those conversations happen at work, after work, and while volunteering at work events for our customers. The feeling of coming to work with family / friends, because that is who we are at Dogfish – one big team, allows us to explore our ideas and thoughts and put them into action. No idea is too big or too small (or too off-centered). We can be authentic, creative, and work together to make the best product we can and pass that along to our Dogfish loving consumers.
Andrew Greeley, General Manager at Dogfish Head’s Brewings & Eats
Being authentically yourself is a challenging ask. We’re all in a constant state of evolution – who we are today isn’t the same person we’ll be tomorrow. Every day brings growth, mistakes, challenges, laughter, success, and failure.
For me, authenticity starts with taking stock of where I am in the present moment and asking how my actions and my presence might make someone’s day a little lighter, a little brighter. That feels real to me. But like anything, there’s another side to it. When something isn’t right, having the courage to speak up feels just as authentic.
Do I get this right every day? Not even close. It’s a constant practice.
Sam Calagione often talks about how some of the extreme beers we make are designed to challenge – even offend – people’s palates. That’s intentional, and it’s rooted in authenticity. With the wide range of beers, cocktails, and menu items we create, there are bound to be things people don’t like. I’d even say some people hate certain offerings. And those same people fall in love with others. That’s the core of authenticity – creating space for people to react honestly, to say “I love this” or “this isn’t for me” based on their own experience.
Don’t rely on someone else to tell you what’s good or not – it’s up to you. And when you apply that same mindset to life, it opens things up. At the same time, having a different opinion doesn’t make one person right and another wrong. Grace matters. Holding space for other people’s experiences matters.
I believe vulnerability is a key part of all of this – accepting that what I think and believe won’t match everyone I meet and being okay with that.
If I can do this … creativity will always follow and it is a fringe benefit.