Real beer and real leadership with Matthew Rolnick

May 7, 2026

Matthew is a senior vice president of partnerships and events for The Real American Beer, based in Tampa. Prior to Real American Beer, he worked for several companies and brands, including Yaymaker, Groupon and CitySearch. On this episode, Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon and Matthew talked about the value of great storytelling in leadership and what truly makes for an authentic leader. They also talked about “attention currency” and why it’s important. And listen for Matthew’s advice and tips on how to grow your career to the C-suite level.

3 Takeaways

(10:00) Leaders need to get information from all departments
(13:15) Be cautious and you can’t win everyone over
(17:00) People don’t want to be sold to, but they want to hear a story

Timestamps

(00:00) Introducing Matthew Rolnick, senior vice president, partnerships and events, Real American Beer
(03:00) What is Real American Beer?
(05:40) Matthew’s career trajectory
(08:00) Lessons from working at Groupon
(09:45) Leadership characteristics
(12:55) Lesson you wish you knew earlier
(15:10) Mark and Matthew’s connection
(17:00) Storytelling in leadership
(18:00) Cameo
(20:20) Advice to a young person
(22:10) 2026 with Real American Beer

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