Greg Zeschuk: Behind the Local Business Owner/ Entrepreneur

After politely shaking hands and leading me to a table where guests indulge in cheese exported from all over the world, he got someone to fetch a band-aid for a small cut on my finger. He also made small talk about the random scratches on his fingers from shifting barrels of beer around, which makes him sound like a tough macho. Yet, Greg Zeschuk is notorious for being filled with friendly remarks and rocking a personable demeanour that could make anyone comfortable. His remark “we take care of people here” after handing me a band-aid with an alcohol swab reaffirmed his reputation for simply being kind. The servers were constantly smiling and customers started pouring in as soon as the restaurant opened, which makes one wonder: How did Zeschuk build his reputation of being the friendly face behind an inclusive brand?

Perhaps it’s the feeling of being in an industrial factory that's strangely homey, the smell of beer fermenting in the air, or the Biera restaurant's cozy yet sophisticated vibe that invites guests to enjoy the menu. Certainly, the owner seems to know that interior design and the use of sunshine will make his customers stick around. Guests can even see the brass brew-house in a glass box, and glimpses of intense action in the kitchen behind the bar. Amidst the restaurant's beauty, Greg stands in the most casual way.

Greg Zeschuk might seem a bit unassuming, with his simple Blind Enthusiasm T-shirt, dark navy jeans, and long wispy beard. His look reminds one of Mark Zuckerberg’s laidback style, which goes beyond the common perception of Louis Vuitton suits on business owners.

His look reminds one of Mark Zuckerberg’s laidback style, which goes beyond the common perception of Louis Vuitton suits on business owners.

Yet, his journey of transforming from a newly practicing Doctor into a businessman is one for the books. Shortly after finishing a Medical Degree at the University of Alberta and practicing medicine, Zeschuk became the co-founder of BioWare in 1995; a video game development company based in Edmonton. After 13 successful years of creating critically-acclaimed video games, BioWare was initially acquired by Elevation Partners, then Electronic Arts. Afterwards, Zeschuk embarked on his new journey of hosting an online beer show which showcased international breweries. He later became the father of Blind Enthusiasm brewing, and Biera (a restaurant) within Ritchie Market. Despite his successes, he hasn't lost his pleasant tendency to treat people the same, regardless if that person is wearing a "reflective vest" or fitted suit.

Back to Square One:

Greg Zeschuk at Biera pouring a craft beer — Greg Zeschuk (former co-owner of BioWare and current owner of Biera) pours a beer at Biera Restaurant on March, 2nd, 2019.

His success is quite parallel to the humble beginnings of growing up in a “warm, loving household” with “two parents that were teachers.” Zeschuk admits that he was “mischievous” as a child, and thinks that as the “oldest of three brothers… the role you're supposed to take is the [one who’s] forging the paths.”

Another surprising twist is that Zeschuk wasn't your typical high school overachiever turned entrepreneur. Instead, he says that “it’s fair to say I coasted through high school. I really wasn’t super engaged.” while distractedly looking around. But his life philosophies all teamed up to assure that he obtained success as an adult. The interesting twist is that him and his wife don’t want to put extreme pressure on their Son to find the cure for cancer as a 18 year old or their daughter to become a 16 year old astronaut.

He described his performance as a teenager as “probably pretty bad. And it’s actually really funny [because] occasionally, I’ll read my old report cards and… They have stuff like “Come on Greg, you can do better than this.”

The Breakthrough:

Greg Zeschuk poses intensely at his brewery Blind Enthusiasm — Greg Zeschuk poses above the brewhouse at Biera.

Not surprisingly, Zeschuk managed to do much better than his teachers probably dreamed of. He recalls graduating together with Ray Muzyka and Augustine Yip from the University of Alberta, and forming a partnership to kick-start their (then) side hustle BioWare while still working as doctors to fuel their business. Their financial strategy for growing BioWare consisted of investing extra earnings back into the business to “grow faster and hire people.” Their company then grew from 2 to 600 hardworking employees while being an independent business, and reached over 1500 dedicated staff once they partnered with Electronic Arts. They also produced hits such as Star Wars: The Old Republic, the Mass Effect series, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate.

Transition:

Greg Zeschuk Edmonton's Local Entrepreneur — Greg Zeschuk stands in front of one part of the brewhouse inside his restaurant Biera.

When BioWare was bought by Electronic Arts (EA), Zeschuk and Muzyka soon started to sense that their lives were about to transform. Zeschuk claims that “we like to control and manage what we do, and when you go work for someone else you cede some of your control.” Thus, after working with EA for 5 years, Zeschuk slipped his 6 month leave notice on the desk of the new EA partner, and started the Beer Diaries. He recalls feeling a bit burned out after working for “like 20 years, relentlessly.” and remembers experiencing “an emotional transition period and definitely a period where [he] was unwinding.”

Luckily, his passion for beer was born in a famous beer bar in Austin, Texas (his second home during the last few years of BioWare) when his friends came to visit him. He realized that tasting different flavours of beer in a healthy manner was “the greatest thing ever!” The passion continued to quietly bubble over the years, then the idea finally clicked during an interview on the Beer Diaries where an accountant mentioned opening up a brewery. He realized that he needed to return to Edmonton to start what he thought would be a “tiny brewery in the neighborhood.”

Unsurprisingly, Zeschuk’s tiny dreams usually turn into gigantic successes because he admits that “when I make stuff, I don’t put a limit on it, I kind of [just] go.” Thus, he never expected to receive the ‘Best Restaurant in Edmonton” award from Avenue or the Order of Canada. In fact, upon hearing that he was anonymously nominated for the Order over the phone, he felt a rush of surprise. Zeschuk says: "I think we got recognized [for] building a video game business in Canada... [For] putting Canada on the map, and Edmonton [in particular]."

Philosophies of Life:

Blind Enthusiasm a local Edmonton restaurant and brewery. — Greg Zeschuk smiles in front of his Blind Enthusiasm merchandise.

So one might ask… how did a person of humble beginnings start a domino effect of successes? Some might say his philosophies of life were leading factors. For example, he made small talk with two of his employees in the span of an hour interview about their work progress and even the smell of cheese. Thus, he enjoys ensuring their team succeeds, but doesn’t always maintain an iron grip and preaches being “really nice and respectful and kind to everyone you work and deal with.” Although his eyes slightly lit up with pride when I listed some of his major accomplishments, he keeps his ego in check and doesn’t expect special treatment.

Another tactic that has contributed to Zeschuk’s success is delegating certain task to his team members. He says that the trick is “hiring lots of good people to run the business. I don’t run the restaurant, and I don’t run the brewery. I have people who are responsible for all the pieces so [it’s] kind of like I’m the coach of the team.”

He also started using the say-do ratio in the BioWare office, where he weighs his actions compared to words spent describing the things he will do at some point. He adds that “the trick in a sense is to be accurate about what you are, and what you do [in order] to be successful and be perceived well.”

The Answer: A Simple Mindset

The main philosophy that allowed Zeschuk to transform into a highly successful person rests on making life as simple as possible. This is very useful in a society that pushes a never-stop-hustling mentality where many can become over-thinkers. He adds that he keeps himself “very busy by focusing on what needs to be done, not on why [and] how… Imagine a Border Collie, they just chase the ball and they don't ask why they’re chasing the ball.”

Greg Zeschuk’s future plans include adding a tap room to his second brewery The Monolith, bottling his beers to sell them, and improving his Marketing skills. Looks like he takes self-improvement over being stagnant any time of day.

If you'd like to meet the man behind it all, hop into Biera to snap a selfie with the infamous Zeschuk, and hear him chit-chatting with customers while pouring beers. His secret?