Podcast

What cycle is the alcohol industry actually entering in 2026—and who is positioned to win it?

Here are our predictions, based on real distributor conversations, real financial pressure, and real market behavior we’re seeing across the country.

At Superior Beverage, as Dan Deufel moved into an executive role, he knew they had to stop “getting cute” with compensation and start telling the full truth about how reps make money.

What followed was a cultural shift rooted in transparency of rep pay—how it’s calculated, what drives it, and how to improve it. And it’s made all the difference.

Beer distributors are the invisible kingmakers of the beverage industry. They take unknown non-alcoholic (NA) brands from bottom-shelf afterthoughts to household names.

Bud, Ross, and Mike pull back the curtain on this repeating story: how the beer network has built billion-dollar NA empires, why those brands get yanked away, and what distributors can do about it.

When businesses plateau—or worse, decline—it’s tempting to blame the market. But more often than not, the real issue is internal.

Explore why organizations stall, what early warning signs to watch for, and how leaders can navigate change in even the most entrenched environments.

While many are waiting for things to “get better,” the top-performing beer distributors across the country are already doing better by taking control of their business, building alignment across every level of their organization, and growing gross profit in a down year.

We break down the three common traits shared by these winning teams—and what they mean for your business heading into 2025.

The Leadership Bank Account — the idea that every conversation, every piece of feedback, and every coaching moment is either a deposit or a withdrawal in your relationship with someone on your team. It lives in the day-to-day moments.

When that account is full, trust is high and tough conversations land. When it’s empty, every withdrawal feels like a hit.

Whether you’re building from scratch, expanding, or rethinking your current layout, the decisions you make today will either deliver long-term operational efficiency—or cost you money.

Listen to our discussion with our guest, Mike Pratt of Facility Planning, to learn more.

Pay transparency isn’t about creating drama. It’s about creating clarity. Whether you’re trying to roll out a new pay plan, re-engage a flatlining team, or retain your top performers, transparent compensation can transform your sales culture from the inside out. Here’s why—and how—you should do it.

Most beer distributors are still staring at margin percentages like they’re gospel. But here’s the problem: margin % doesn’t tell you what actually hits your bottom line. It’s just a ratio — and it can trick you into ignoring products that make you the most money.

This isn’t a finance lesson. It’s a psychology playbook. Compensation hits people in the gut. That’s why Episode 53 of Tapped In Sales is all about what really happens when you move from guaranteed salary to variable pay.