{"id":16096,"date":"2025-08-01T01:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/?p=16096"},"modified":"2026-02-17T13:33:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T21:33:57","slug":"jeff-browne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/2025\/08\/01\/jeff-browne\/","title":{"rendered":"MBA Helps Jeff Browne Launch Heartwork Brewing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Person<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"OMBA
Jeff Browne<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In 2020, Jeff Browne<\/a> (\u201823 MBA) was juggling two passions: music and hospitality. He taught music and managed a local bar\u2014until the COVID-19 pandemic brought both careers to a screeching halt. Laid off from both jobs, Browne found himself at a professional crossroads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determined to pivot, he turned his attention to MBA programs. Encouraged by WSU alumni he had worked with and impressed by the reputation of the Carson College’s top-ranked online MBA program<\/a> offered through WSU Global Campus, Browne decided it was time to invest in his future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a bachelor\u2019s degree in music and psychology, Browne chose to pursue a concentration in finance to build a more stable business foundation and broaden his management skill set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought finance would provide a safety net during such an uncertain time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A redemptive academic experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Earning his MBA was more than a career move\u2014it was a personal triumph. As an undergraduate, Browne struggled with academics and even faced academic probation. His MBA journey was a chance to rewrite that narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was able to prove to myself I have what it takes to be successful with academics and \ufb01nished with a 4.0,\u201d he says. \u201cMy MBA from the Carson College gave me the con\ufb01dence to pursue my dreams and handle anything life throws at me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Browne credits the structure of the MBA program with sharpening one of his most essential professional tools: time management. The rigor of balancing coursework with other responsibilities pushed him to stay focused and efficient. But it was the group work\u2014often with strangers and conducted entirely online\u2014that truly challenged and strengthened his leadership abilities, ultimately preparing him to be a better supervisor and business owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to step up and make sure teamwork happens, even when you\u2019re not in the same room,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That experience taught him to quickly assess others\u2019 strengths and understand how each person\u2019s skills contribute to a team\u2019s success, something he now applies daily in his leadership role at Heartwork Brewing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding his strengths in finance and operations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Browne, particularly enjoyed finance courses that introduced him to investment analysis and advanced Excel skills. These skills have become invaluable, helping him to expand his business expertise and understand the full picture of his brewery, not just the hospitality side. In his Investment Analysis class, Browne learned about the stock market and investing. Despite having no prior experience in the field, he excelled and even finished in the top five of a course-wide investment competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also discovered a passion for operations and logistics. His MBA highlighted the importance of small details that can often be overlooked in operations management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith my undergrad in psychology and music, there were a lot of areas I didn\u2019t have a background with yet,\u201d he says. \u201cBalance sheets, sales forecasts, optimizing labor costs, and more\u2014all were invaluable to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brewing a new vision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before Browne completed the MBA program, he was approached about opening Heartwork Brewing, causing him to shift from finance back to hospitality, a familiar industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a cofounder at Heartwork, Browne wears many hats, including kitchen and taproom manager. His years in hospitality equipped him with strong listening and problem-solving skills, while his MBA added a new layer of strategic thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom the timing of kitchen tickets, to the bene\ufb01t of a proper guest greeting, to the \ufb02oorplan of our brewery space\u2014my MBA helped me to look at the business holistically,\u201d he says. \u201cI feel better equipped to evaluate not just how the business is today, but where we want to be in \ufb01ve years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heartwork Brewing has won several awards including Bloomington\u2019s Number One Favorite Beer for 2025 and Local Restaurant Survey Favorite for 2024 from Bloom Magazine<\/em>, Best of B-Town by The Official Community\u2019s Choice Awards, and multiple honors from Untappd recognizing the quality of their beers. Browne\u2019s journey, from laid-off restaurant manager to successful business owner, is a testament to the value and versatility of a Carson MBA and the power of a well-timed pivot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2020, Jeff Browne (\u201823 MBA) was juggling two passions: music and hospitality. He taught music and managed a local bar\u2014until the COVID-19 pandemic brought both careers to a screeching halt. Laid off from both jobs, Browne found himself at a professional crossroads.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":[635],"featured_media":16426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[429,623,425,625],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16096"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/635"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16096"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18402,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16096\/revisions\/18402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16096"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/author?post=16096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}