My Road to Cicerone®: Mike Walls of Synergy Restaurant Consultants

Mike Walls is a Certified Cicerone from Lombard, IL. Here he explains the value he has found in achieving his certification.

1. Where do you work and what do you do there? 
   I work for Synergy Restaurant Consultants as a Beverage & Operations Specialist. We are a group of entrepreneurs, efficiency experts, and subject matter experts that help people start, grow, optimize, and rescue food & beverage-related businesses. I travel often, meet clients, see, and help grow businesses all over the country.
2. How did you first hear of the Cicerone Certification Program?
   I was working as the bar manager for a steakhouse in Chicago, building a craft beer program because I was seriously enjoying the craft beer culture and saw a major opportunity to trailblaze in the Chicago steak house scene. I was speaking with the portfolio manager of one of my distributors who was a Certified Cicerone and he recommended a few books and told me about the program. I loved the idea of doing what he did, so I bought Tasting Beer and used his business card as a bookmark to motivate myself. 
3. Why did you choose to pursue Certified Cicerone while already working in the beer industry?
   The steakhouse scene can sometimes be resistant to change, so building a craft program felt like an uphill battle, even though I knew it was an untapped market for us. I figured that if I could put some serious credentials behind my staff training and tap selections, I would have an easier time getting buy-in from my co-workers and bosses. I’ve always had contagious enthusiasm, so when I started down the rabbit hole with beer, I knew my staff would come along if I never ran out of answers to their questions. 
4. What was your study support network like? Did you receive support from a study group, your employer, or study solo?
   I mostly studied solo, but I would occasionally reach out to brewers that I either did collaborations with for the restaurant or had a good relationship with to help clarify or go deeper on certain topics. My wife bought me an off-flavor kit for my birthday. I went to the smartest commercial brewer I know and asked him if he would lead a class. He invited some of his bartenders and reps and he took us through an awesome tasting (thanks, Tom!). I ended up scoring a 100% on the tasting exam. 
5. Describe your study process. How did you prepare for the exam?
   I started by reading Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. If you’ve read it, you know it piques your interest and it lit a fire under me to learn more. I made connections with local brewers through my restaurant and offered free labor on mornings and days off in exchange for hands-on experience. I cleaned a lot of mash tuns and canned a lot of beer, but the immersive experience, sights, and especially smells helped me build a stronger foundation while giving me access to great minds and driving my passion with like-minded people. “The Beer Scholar” study guide also helped me a lot. There were practice quizzes and flashcards that my wife would help me run through nightly. I bought several other books too, including The Brewmasters Table, Yeast, Water, World Guide to Beer (by my favorite, Michael Jackson), and Brew Like a Monk to name a few.
6. Explain how earning your certification has helped your career.
   Adding any sort of certification or degree to your resume shows employers that you are hungry for knowledge. My Cicerone certification coupled with my culinary certification got me to the table in a sense, and once I was there, I could use my knowledge to gain more responsibility and grow in my field. From a personal standpoint, it is important to pursue your passions and intertwine them with your career when you can. Life is boring if you aren’t trying to learn something new.
7. What are your greatest strengths now that you’re a Certified Cicerone?
   Being a recognized expert in the field of beer was great practice for speaking with authority, driving initiatives and achieving growth. It prepared me for my role as a subject matter expert in other fields as my knowledge grew and my career path widened. Being a certified expert gave me confidence that started with building and training a new beer program and has now unfolded into something much more robust as I continue to learn and assert a degree of mastery over various subjects. Once you start speaking with authority backed by real knowledge and study, it gets addicting as you watch your enthusiasm catch fire and inspire others.
8. Were there any areas of study that you became particularly interested in while preparing for the Certified Cicerone exam?
   The history. I love knowing about the deep roots of the world’s favorite beverage. The more I got into the history, the more glassware I bought because I always wanted to enjoy it the way they did in my books. It didn’t hurt that glassware was on the test. Pro Tip: Check out Goodwill for an astonishing array of specialized glassware on the cheap! Also, Everyone should read The Brewer’s Tale: A History of the World According to Beer by William Bostwick if that sort of thing is your jam (also a great audiobook). 
9. In your opinion, how valuable is it for those looking to boost their career to earn Cicerone certification?
   Extremely valuable. Being an expert in anything brings recognition and acknowledgment that leads to greater responsibilities and success for those that choose to use their knowledge to advance.
10. What advice do you have for Certified Beer Servers who are looking into taking the Certified Cicerone exam? 
    Just do it! You’ll never have more fun or meet better people while studying for a test. The beer community is the most open and friendly I’ve encountered, so ask to get involved and start soaking up that sweet sweet knowledge!

Ready to get started? Learn more about the Certified Cicerone exam here!