No two days look the same for the packaging team at Hard Truth. From prepping for a large bottling run to getting pallets out the door, Dawn Heim says it’s the the tight-knit team and the “chaos” of it all that keeps her going.
The hard work through the chaos doesn’t go unnoticed. “Dawn brings hard work, consistency and a team mindset to work everyday in our bottling operations,” added Master Distiller Bryan Smith. “She is just someone who brightens the day around her and we are lucky to have her!”
Read below to hear about Dawn’s experience with Hard Truth, her passion for music, painting, and her favorite whiskeys for a “boujee” sipping session:
What does a day at Hard Truth look like?
It varies day-to-day which keeps it exciting. A day will include anything from setting up for a bottling run, to running the machinery, to doing pre-pack for cases — a lot of running back-and-forth. Some may not like it, but I thrive in chaos. That inner animal comes out the crazier and busier it gets. At least, that’s what Adrian calls it. I just love the chaos!
Even in the madness, we are still very precise and technical. Adrian trained me very well. He’s very methodical, and I’ve come to learn a lot from his practices. I try to adopt them and go step-by-step, make sure I have everything down, and then go from there. When something breaks down, you do the same thing. You go through the steps to fix it and bring in other coworkers too – they might know something that you don’t.
Tell us what the team environment is like.
It’s truly a team environment and a family atmosphere. First off, Hannah and I share one brain cell. If she doesn’t have it, I have it for the day. We go back and forth and work it out. We are a bit wacky and just laugh about everything, especially when we’re having a bad day or someone else on the team is, we just try to bring out the laughter.
Martin’s been fantastic. You can ask him anything — there are no stupid questions. He has really encouraged me to learn new skills, pointing me in the right direction at times. Shalee jumps in whenever and wherever she can. She will help us on the bottling line, packaging, and more, all in addition to her responsibilities.
I love how everyone comes together in a crisis and figures it out. That’s what truly makes us a team. There’s going to be chaos, there’s going to be a lot of hard work, and it’s not the same thing every day. It’s good to have each other’s backs. We just try to have fun and not let anything get to us, you know? Really, at the end of the day, you’re just doing the best you can, and that’s it. You’re in it together, so why not let it flow?
How did you get started at Hard Truth and how has your role evolved?
My partner, Robert, his mom actually lived next door to Martin. She mentioned that her neighbor worked at Quaff ON! Brewing Co. and offered to take us all on a tour. We took him up on that offer and I got to know Martin. While touring I looked around and thought, ‘Man, I’d love to work here’. At the time, there weren’t any job openings but about three years later, I was looking again and saw a position had opened up. When I came in for the interview, Derek and Martin met with me, and I immediately looked at Martin like, “Hey, I know you!” We got to talking and I think meeting him before got my foot in the door. We had a good connection before, and we had a really good interview. Plus, Adrian liked me, so they brought me on and that’s how I got started.
I started off on the bottling line, doing what I could like wrapping pallets, gluing a lot of labels on bottles. We did a lot by hand then. These past three years I’ve continued to learn from Adrian asking him questions and jumping in wherever I can. Eventually, he needed an assistant and came to me to be the Lead Packaging Operator.
What’s it like watching the company grow?
It’s been crazy to see how fast everything has come together. Before I worked here, we would love to come to the property just to eat and chill. Back then, there was none of this. I’ve loved seeing the rack houses go up these past few years. Watching the property expand like the lake being built, the moonshiner’s cabin being added. It’s all really cool!
The sky is the limit with this company. I’ve seen people go from labor to doing what they love higher up. That kind of growth creates new opportunities for everyone, including me. I’m looking forward to expanding production with a new bottling line for clear spirits, another for whiskey. All this has to be done. We have to evolve and grow. It’s great for Brown County as well. We employ a lot of local people, and it helps us all within the company continue to grow.
There is a level of pride in it all. Of course, I take pride in all my work but going out to a liquor store and seeing our bottles, I think, “I did that.” It’s great knowing I took part in the process and that these whiskeys are on their way to all 50 states. The future is bright!
Which Hard Truth products do you personally enjoy?
I’ve really enjoyed the Maple Brulee ever since it came out, but the one I’m really enjoying is Sweet Mash Wheated Bourbon. I really wasn’t a whiskey fan before I came here.
Since starting here, my palette has evolved, and Chris Moore has taught me a lot. He’s shown me how to taste whiskey properly, what to smell, what I am smelling. It’s really helped me grow an appreciation for what we create. Now, depending on my mood, I’ll pour a neat glass just to enjoy the flavors and the nose. It makes me feel bougie.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I have so many things that I love to do, and I don’t get to do enough of them to be great at any one thing. I love playing guitar and singing karaoke. I read, I paint with acrylics, and lately, I’ve been working on dot painting wine bottles. It’s intricate, detailed, and really cool.
My four grown boys are a huge part of my life, and we spend a lot of time together. We go bowling, hang out, and just enjoy each other’s company.
Music, that’s the number one. We go to at least six or seven concerts a year, sometimes more. I love live music. We go to the shows shows here as well. The acoustics are amazing with our setup and I love the atmosphere with the surrounding woods and the rocks. Of course, it’s beautiful here, which just adds to it all.
