Serendipity is defined as:
“The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy and beneficial way.”
It was a typical afternoon in the spring of 2021, amidst the midday madness of on the job multitasking when Bill’s phone rang just as it had hundreds of times before. Assigned with the title of Philadelphia area sales representative for Workhorse Brewery, Bill Miller proceeded to greet the unexpected caller in his usual pleasant and professional tone. On the other end of the line, an invitation to attend a meeting of the minds awaited Bill, delivered to him by Doug Gardner, VP of Sales at Workhorse Brewery. Coffee, conversation, and potential collaboration lay on the table with Philadelphia area non-profit organization Legacy of Hope, as to be discussed with President & CEO Mike Rowe and VP Gina Mancuso. Being a seasoned brand ambassador for quality craft beer, Bill was no stranger to meetings such as this…or so he thought.
In the days leading up to the meeting, Bill proactively researched the history and mission of Legacy of Hope in preparation for conversations to come. A mission boldly stating that “No family should lose their home or go without food because a loved one is fighting cancer and no promising cancer research should go unfunded”. Admittedly Bill tells me, “Prior to this meeting, I was not familiar with Legacy of Hope, but their mission really hit home for me and I was excited about taking that meeting”.
The day of the meeting had soon arrived, and with hot coffees in hand, a serious session of brainstorming ensued. The meeting was orchestrated on behalf of Legacy of Hope by VP Gina Mancuso in tandem with CEO Mike Rowe. Leading with excitement, they pitched their search for an enthusiastic team of expert brewers, who could help create a quality “feel good” product for the community, with a portion of proceeds returning as a direct contribution to Legacy of Hope’s Emergency Patient Support Network. As defined by Legacy of Hope, the emergency patient support network helps to supply Philadelphia cancer patients and their families with much needed help to eliminate arising hardships while receiving treatment for cancer. The help provided to patients & families in need includes but is not limited to: emergent financial support to assist in the prevention of utility shut off, eviction & foreclosure as well as the delivery of healthy fresh groceries to those faced with food insecurity.
Located in King of Prussia and specializing in small batch brewing, Workhorse Brewery pride their business on “Beer Made Right”. Built within the forefront of the Workhorse mantra is knowing that “successful brands are able to create meaningful connections to their customers.” It only seemed fitting that this was indeed the karmic collaboration Legacy of Hope had been searching for, and even more so serendipitously for Bill Miller than he could have ever initially imagined.
While the newly formed team recognized the elusiveness of this pairing of passions, Bill was awestruck and drawn back to a time of deep personal connection when it was his family that was navigating a journey through an unexpected cancer diagnosis. Thinking back to his early childhood, Bill shares that he can recall learning of the loss of his godfather, singularly explained to him as having occurred due to cancer. Admittedly he says, “I didn’t realize at that time how widespread cancer was or could be. I didn’t understand the severity of cancer.” It wasn’t until early adulthood that Bill would unknowingly embark on a much different and unfathomable journey.
Closely connected with an older cousin, Bill recalls memories of spending quality time with her three children as they were growing up. “Although we were technically second cousins, the kids looked up to me like an uncle…in fact they used to call me Cuncle instead” he says, as we enjoy a brief giggle at the cleverly assigned nickname. Faith was the youngest of her siblings, active, audacious and always on the go. As an avid sports player, Faith was involved in softball, basketball, cheerleading and more recalls Bill.
One day Faith began to report complaints of back pain to her mother, Bill explains. Recognizing the many physical demands of such a rigorous extracurricular activity schedule, Faith’s mom lovingly and supportively encouraged her daughter to allow herself a mental and physical break from this routine for some much needed rest, with a genuine assumption this would surely improve her current discomforts. Faith willingly obliged with her mother’s recommendations for adequate rest, however the pain and discomfort in her back did not subside.
Upon seeking medical attention, Bill reports, Faith’s doctors ordered a series of imaging tests for further evaluation. The results revealed the unimaginable…the presence of multiple tumors throughout her spine, rendering some of the bones in her back brittle enough to spontaneously fracture. After an extensive workup it was determined, the pain in which Faith had been experiencing stemmed from a significantly rare neurologic cancer.
Bill reflects with vivid recall the many challenges his cousin faced as a single mother of three children, learning to navigate an unexplainable, unfair, and unpredictable journey with her dependent children alongside the cancer that had so ruthlessly invaded their world. Now a single father of two daughters himself, Corinne (6) and Cierra (11), Bill states with sincere empathy, “I remember the toll that journey took on Faith, her mom and her siblings. Cancer negatively impacted their whole lives”. After a valiant eleven-month battle with a most egregious cancer, 11-year-old Faith had passed away.
Bill admits, “I first learned about Legacy of Hope when I read their mission statement, and when meeting Mike and Gina all I could think about was my cousin, my niece Faith and her siblings. I couldn’t help but think… had Legacy of Hope been around back then, I know my cousin would have been in touch and the team at Legacy of Hope would not have hesitated to provide her with genuine support. In that way I immediately felt a connection to this organization on more than just a business level” says Bill.
At the end of a few hot coffees and an extraordinary conversation, Legacy of Hops was born to be brewed. Bill eagerly describes Legacy of Hops as being one of his favorite liquids, a 5.5% ABV Hazy Session IPA, perfectly-balanced full of deep citrus and hoppy flavors. Legacy of Hops drinks very very smooth, but also being able to confidently inform the distributor the dollars raised by this product are going directly back into the community to help restore utilities, deliver fresh groceries, and secure housing for Philadelphia’s delicate cancer population is deeply motivating. With the debut of Legacy of Hops having occurred in early June 2021, the reception to this collaborative product has been amazing, says Bill. Legacy of Hops is now available throughout the greater Philadelphia area, sold in 126 retailers.
Almost all the beer has already been sold, raising approximately $3567 and counting, which has assisted Legacy of Hope in providing direct patient support to 3,539 Philadelphia cancer patients and their family members. At the end of this October a second edition of Legacy of Hops will be released. Bill Miller remains on the beat, as he continues his daily efforts to push product distribution, raise brand awareness and increase brand visibility with a smile behind the mask and his heart on his sleeve, setting the bar high for this amazing cause.
As our conversation came to a close, I asked Bill how he navigates the challenges that come with being a salesman, to which he replied “This is so much more than sales for me. Not only do I believe in Workhorse as a company, an employer, and the quality of the brand, but also being afforded the opportunity to work with Mike, Gina and Legacy of Hope… it has been the highlight of my career. I have never been happier to work for an employer. Simply put, it is easy to sell something that you believe in!”
“Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.” – Brian Tracy
For more information on where to find Legacy of Hops please visit ,www.legacyofhope.life or ,www.workhorsebrewing.com Don’t forget to check all Philadelphia area grocery stores, bottle shops and local establishments as well.
#legacyofhope #workhorsebrewingcompany #maderight #yourbeeryourway #drinklocal
Written by: Michelle Lasota