We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Baker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
When I started working at TUPPS Brewery back in 2015, I didn’t have any kids. My husband was in medical school and very busy with school so I was able to put all of my time into work and there was PLENTY to do since we were a new, startup brewery. Then I had my first baby in 2017 and I had to shift my whole work schedule and work from home and I would bring my baby into work for meetings. I’m extremely lucky and grateful that my boss is my dad and he was willing to work with me becoming a mom. I just had my second baby in June of 2020 and i’m back to working from home a lot. It’s been very tough to balance work, being a mom and being a wife, but I love what I do. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelors in Advertising. My first “big girl job” out of college was working at a Trade Show company. I was doing the marketing and advertising specifically for a construction show. I learned so, so much from this job. I moved on to work for another trade show type company, but for smaller conferences for top leaders in their fields. My husband proposed, which lead me to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma where I worked for a law firm. While working for the law firm, I learned what it was like to work for a small business with the pressure of trying to grow the business on my own. I was the only marketing person on staff. Once I found out my dad was opening up the brewery, I began working at TUPPS. TUPPS has been a wild ride. I truly love the company, the product, my boss and the whole team.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My friend from Boston just came to visit this summer! We invited some girl friends and had a mini staycation at The Adolphus Hotel. We drank by the pool, had a nice dinner, and enjoyed some time without kids around. I live up in the “burbs” (McKinney), so I usually prefer to stay up in the burbs. I would say day shopping around the McKinney square, grabbing some lunch, heading over to TUPPS for a few beers and live music. Then a nice dinner out at Harvest or my favorite sushi restaurant, Koshi Sushi in McKinney. I usually like to stay close to home now.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My dad, Keith Lewis, deserves all of the credit for taking the leap and starting TUPPS Brewery. He really had to start from the bottom and learn how to start a business, find investors, perfect the beer recipes and hire a team to grow the business. My two brothers, Chris and Chase, also work for the brewery so it’s a full on family business. He has been incredibly understanding of us having our own families and making our families a priority. I know no other company would allow me to work from home with my babies and bring my kids to meetings when needed.

Website: https://tuppsbrewery.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tupps_brewery/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-baker-15356211/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tuppsbrewery

Image Credits
4 person family photo = A Carman Photography the rest of the photo = Bamboo Grove Creative

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