Most “entrepreneur stories” skip the messy middle. This one doesn’t.
In this episode of The Plug Podcast, Jeff Kohl and Pat Schiller sit down with Joe Chura, founder of Go Brewing, to talk about what it really looks like to build, scale, sell, and then start over. Joe’s path starts on the Ford assembly line, turns into learning SEO by doing it himself, and grows into building multiple companies that ultimately sold to Cars.com in February 2018.
But the big moments are not the point. The point is what happens around them.
Joe breaks down the pressure that comes with fast growth, the cash flow reality of taking on bigger clients, and what it feels like when the outside world sees “CEO” but you’re still trying to catch your breath.
He also gets honest about the stuff people usually edit out. Burnout. Mental health. Imposter syndrome. And that weird moment after a major exit where you realize you still want to build, but you need it to mean something this time.
What you’ll hear in this conversation:
- The jump from factory work to entrepreneurship, and why podcasts played a role early on
- How rapid growth can still leave you “successful” and cash tight at the same time
- What selling to a public company actually feels like behind the scenes
- A practical tax lesson Joe wishes more founders knew (QSBS)
- Why he started Go Brewing, and what he was searching for next
If you’re building something, coming back from a hard season, or wondering what the “next chapter” is supposed to look like, this episode will land.
Hit play and get plugged in.
