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V O L . X X I N O. X V I I A U G U S T 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 26 Sanborn also worked on a measure approved last year that made it easier for organizations to run beer festivals, which helped pave the way for craft beer giant Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. to hold a festival at ompson's Point in Portland in 2014 that attracted thousands of people. e Maine Brewers' Guild recently held a similar event in July that brought in dozens of breweries and nearly 2,000 attendees. But the fi rst measure Sanborn worked on, back when she was asked to serve on an industry task force, arguably had the largest impact on how Maine breweries do business. e measure, which was signed into law as part of a larger liquor law reform bill, allowed breweries to charge for beer samples — something that previ- ously wasn't legal, which made it diffi cult for small breweries like Rising Tide to convince customers into buying their beer. Getting that measure passed, Sanborn says, enabled breweries to open tasting rooms as part of their business model. Rising Tide and other brew- eries throughout the state are now using tasting rooms as a way to get customers in the door and support other businesses like food trucks and beer bus tours. Sanborn says tasting room attendance at Rising Tide has grown to a point where the brewery is now planning to roughly triple its size. As one of the fi rst businesses to take a chance on East Bayside as a re-emerging neighborhood, Sanborn says it's exciting to see how it has attracted a bevy of other food-, beverage- and arts-related businesses over the last three years. "My parents were pretty uncomfortable with the idea that I might be here alone late at night, at the time," Sanborn says, referring to Rising Tide's early days in East Bayside, "and now we've really trans- formed the neighborhood so that nobody would give that a second thought." DYlan MarTin, Mainebiz online editor, can be reached at DmarTin @ mainebiz.biz and @ DYlanLJMarTin Providing solutions for diverse hiring needs for Maine companies 207-854-2422 directpersonnel.net 1-800-639-8802 mainestaff.com • Finance/ accounting professionals • Skilled laborers • Flaggers • Administrative experts • Health Care professionals • Engineers Call us today! A corporate division of Maine Staffing Group Pursuit OS 345 Offshore NO RESERVATIONS. WATERFRONT DINING AT SUNSET. Why wait? Call Steve at 207-846-9050 www.yarmouthboatyard.com www.pursuitboats.com » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words What was the biggest challenge of your career? My biggest ongoing challenge is finishing things. I feel like I am always putting out 100 fires and answering 100 emails and voicemails and texts, and I am constantly working on more than one thing at a time. Staying focused on what really needs to get done versus what just happens to be right in front of me at the moment can be very challenging. When did you know you'd made it? I'm not sure we have, but when we got to May of 2013 and survived our first winter with no other personal income, that was a big deal. The beer business in Maine is very seasonal so getting through each winter while still spending all the money we need to ramp up for the next summer can be very scary. Every winter now seems to get a little bit less scary in terms of cash flow, so that's nice. What advice do you wish you'd gotten early in your career? I still feel like I am early in my career! I've had three careers — teacher, attorney and now brewery owner — so I'm still figuring out this last one... advice is welcome! I'll relax when…? I'm not good at relaxing. I'm hoping I'll get better at it someday. Maybe in 20 years or so when and if our son wants to take over the brewery? What was your 'Haven't we gone beyond this' moment? I feel this way pretty often when we're dealing with our suppliers. It always seems like the ship- ment you are counting on the most is the one that doesn't arrive on time or was printed wrong or whatever. P H O T O / W I L L I A M T R E VA S K I S Heather Sanborn has been active as president of the Maine Brewers' Guild and as an advocate for the East Bayside neighborhood.

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