We knew we were in for an entertaining and engaging talk when the co-founder of Tool Shed Brewing Company Graham Sherman stopped by our Toronto office recently. The successful beer entrepreneur didn’t disappoint.

Peppering personal stories throughout his visit, we got an intimate look at the uphill battle he fought to open Alberta up to craft brewing. His journey — a winding, stressful, and often hilarious one that morphed the self-proclaimed high-level geek from a military IT solutions expert to the passionate craft beer baron he is today — applies to just about any industry facing seemingly insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles or simply a fear of taking a leap of faith.

In the video above, Graham touches on the early free-wheeling start-up days of his company, with the energy and humour few can match. Be sure to watch other Inside Our Boardroom clips for his thoughts on approaching social media and regulatory risk.