Meet Lashanda Poteat

We recently connected with Lashanda Poteat and have shared our conversation below.

LaShanda, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Being the only one in the room is intimidating to say the least. But while being the only one in the room I make sure I am seen first. My outfit choice is how I begin to be successful in a room that doesn’t look like me. Working in the craft beer industry it is known that brewers tend to be white males, beard, jeans/khaki’s and a brewery tee shirt that usually is from the brewery they brew at or a best bud to them that owns a brewery. Not me my outfits, always make me stand out even more then just being the only Female of Color. I’ve become known at most events now to have the cool earrings on, hair well maintained, well maintained nails and dressed in a way that makes others want to complement me and there a conversation begins.

Next I make sure I introduce myself to four new individuals at the event that, I am attending. Shaking hands, making sure to take down contact information, and most importantly now a days following the individual and the company they work for on Social media. Following up to just say hello and making sure to tag any of their products in a post on my social media accounts when I am supporting. Then at the next event I make sure to reintroduce myself and have genuine and intentional conversation about how things have been since the last time we met. Also making sure to share if I have visited the brewery/taproom or how I enjoyed a specific beer that I tried of theirs.

With that being said, I put myself out there and engage. Attending these events as regularly as possible so my face is always recognizable. Being sure to make contact with those I know while meeting new contacts in the industry has been how I’ve been successful with being the only Female of Color at a lot of craft beer events. Yes I get stared at and there are many that won’t engage with me at all. No eye contact, no smile and not even a hello back when I speak to them in passing. But you know what who cares because I see it as their loss not mine. Because for every one person that doesn’t speak I meet four new individuals that are engaging and willing to share lots of great information with me in this crazy world of craft beer.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

So a little or a lot about me is that I started out as Blkbeermom. (pronounce black beer mom) Which is my Instagram account and brand I created to create awareness to the lack of Females of Color in the Craft Beer Industry. Through this Instagram page and my in depth learning of all things that have to do with craft beer, I was able to get a job as a Taproom Manager in the small town of Graham North Carolina where I was born. Receiving this job opened up many opportunities for me through Scholarships that were being awarded to People of Color in the industry and even a few that were only for Females or Nonbinary individuals of color. Through these scholarships I was being put in rooms finally where I wasn’t the only female or person of color. Networking and creating friendships and collaborations that continue to help me impact the craft beer industry.

My biggest and most heart felt project was taking over the Greensboro Chapter of the Pink Boots Society. What is the Pink Boots Society? Pink Boots is an international non profit organization that aims to assist, inspire and encourage woman and non-binary individuals in the fermentation/alcoholic beverage industry to advance in their careers through education.

This chapter lost all leadership and all members but myself and three others, after the pandemic. Me being the driven and strong willed individual that I am, I took over leadership and began my work. Promoting the new chapter through Social Media and finding woman and non-binary individuals that had the same interest in craft beer as I did. Revamping the chapter to 25 individuals meant we could now use the Chapter funds. Which I began searching out breweries in the area to host our monthly meetups and help with any type of educational components that I could find. Next up was to raise more chapter funds which through Collaboration Brew Days we were able to jump start the raising of funds for our chapter. After successfully leading the chapter alone and making these huge changes to the chapter for the better, I was nominated to sit on the board of the Pink Boots Society and would you believe I won. So as of today I have been a Board Member for the Pink Boots Society for two years, with one more year left to volunteer on the. board for this amazing organization.

While fulfilling all these hats, I managed to speak at a few in person conferences and have done a couple virtual ones as well, all talking about Taproom management and how I was successful at filling that role for three and a half years.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would say my personality and willingness to learn from others while sharing all my knowledge of what I learned through this journey. Asking questions from those that have been in the craft beer industry longer then I have. Networking would be the secret to almost everything that I have learned. Putting myself in those spaces where I would be the only female of color, and making sure I didn’t stop there. Daily management of my Instagram account and just holding myself to such a high standard that wouldn’t let me settle for average at anything I do.

I would say to anyone looking to make the craft beer industry your thing, ask questions, don’t be afraid to be the only one that looks like you and make as many beer friends as you can. And mainly listen to learn not to respond.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

In the past twelve months my biggest area of growth has been learning to let go of spaces and people that are no longer serving a purpose in my journey or that I have outgrown and there’s no more room for growth. Because the goal here is to be the best in my eyes and not to reach a goal and stop. The idea is to crush all goals and be the best at all things craft beer that I can be.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blkbeermom/
• Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/blkbeermom