Thor Cheston, co-founder of Right Proper Brewing Company in Washington, D.C., was recently featured on the PROSPER podcast. The show is hosted by Andreas Widmer and Rebecca Teti from the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America.
During the episode, Cheston talked about his path from a liberal arts background to starting a craft beer business. He described the challenges and realities of running a small company in a crowded market. The discussion included topics such as leadership, adjusting business strategies, understanding customer needs, and financial literacy. Cheston mentioned that using tools like EBITDA has been important for building a sustainable business.
Cheston highlighted his commitment to transparency with employees through open-book management at Right Proper Brewing Company. This approach allows staff to understand the company’s financial status and participate more actively in its success.
As someone who converted to Catholicism, Cheston discussed how learning about the Busch School’s philosophy influenced him. He said: “I had this moment of wondering how to reconcile my Catholic faith with running a for-profit business,” Cheston said. “Then I realized that the business school at Catholic University is very Catholic and learning through leadership over there —how the free market economy and Catholic social teaching come together in such a beautiful way… had I not already been Catholic, I would have converted.”
The full episode featuring Thor Cheston can be accessed on Spotify (
) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joCZ0mkb22Q).
