My client, a highly successful alcohol distributing professional, wanted an expanded “About Me” for his personal business webpage and various media profiles. He sought a way for potential new business partners to get a clearer, deeper sense of his voice, business philosophy, and personality.
[John Doe], nicknamed “the gold standard” for his consistently innovative distribution strategies, is an experienced, successful alcohol supplier and collaboration specialist who emphasizes relationships that lead to profitable, purposeful growth. His vast experience in the industry ranges from giants to start-ups, and he has even founded his own successful, international spirits distribution company–which recently sold for 60 million dollars.
Just a sample of [John]’s accomplishments: through his tenacious pursuit of “yes” and natural competitive drive, he’s consistently earned the #1 ranking in division sales and revenue growth year after year, across regions, both at Brown-Forman and Beam Suntory. During his decade with Beam Suntory, he’s achieved Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits President’s Club status every single year. [John] has built brands, revolutionized marketing approaches, and created entirely new corridors of industry.
But titles and accolades alone don’t capture [John]’s unique formula for success. He embraces the notion of the whole self as a brand: at his core, he’s an inventive implementer and a doer. Unencumbered by the status quo or “what worked before,” he’s a proven problem-solver—one who looks at every scenario through a prism, finding every angle and option, yet who possesses the instinct and drive to choose the best solutions for his company and clients. And from those around him he expects the same individuated, analytical, action-oriented output, cultivating a “can do” attitude in his collaborators. He builds and inspires motivated teams by recognizing and maximizing each contributor’s unique capacities and talents; he believes productive relationships are just as important as the goals you’re pursuing together. As [John] likes to put it: “One team—one dream.”
Actualizing dreams takes as much unique talent as it does hard work, and [John] excels at the intangibles as much as the numbers prove his success. His unparalleled ability to read situations, forge human connections, and gain trust—the true backbone for growth, sales, and profitable partnerships—has precipitated his fast rise. As a result, his revolutionary on-premise marketing approaches generate lucrative new partnerships and opportunities for his brands, clients, and friends. During his tenure at Brown-Forman, [John] harnessed a powerful combination of deep-seated personal connections and innovative guerilla marketing strategies to help shape modern Las Vegas poolside bottle service. Under the steam of [John]’s innovation, not only did he and his collaborators leave Brown-Forman’s thumbprint emblazoned on the Vegas scene—elevating and redefining nightlife for an entire generation—but those same connections have risen through the ranks from Vegas barback or valet to current industry leader and casino president. More recently, [John] spearheaded a groundbreaking national partnership between Jim Beam and Vet Tix, a foundation that provides U.S. service members, veterans, and their families with tickets to sporting events and concerts. Through this venture, Jim Beam not only donates directly to the foundation’s ticket purchases, but also designed dedicated co-branded retail displays to be featured year-round in Class 6 stores.
[John] continues to apply his vast experience and distributor relationship expertise to grow and foster symbiotic partnerships across industries. In the process, he has reconfigured and enhanced relationships among grocery, spirits, and sports franchises, maximizing ROI for all parties. [John] teamed up with the CRO of the Phoenix Suns to forge a partnership between the Suns and the Kroger Company, the country’s largest grocer. This partnership’s one-of-a-kind programs maximize the opportunities that the NBA provides, netting sales for Beam Suntory that far exceed traditional sports contracts. [John] is also currently collaborating with PayPal to establish the first ever “Off-Premise-to-On-Premise” Rebate Program. Via this novel partnership, customers who purchase bottles at retail outlets receive rebates in their PayPal accounts, which they can then spend in bars and restaurants.
Clearly, [John]’s vision is trailblazing: connections that can seem daring prove organic and mutually beneficial because he sees growth and collaboration as a rhizomatic process, constantly emerging and thriving in new, unexpected locations. [John] sees the unmarked path between the established root and unexplored areas for exciting new growth.
This knack for blazing new ground started early. When [John] was young and green, opportunity interrupted his trajectory along the standard learning curve and shot him into the stratosphere: Brown-Forman, famed 150-year-old brand builder for household names from Jack Daniels to Korbel, relished taking a risk on this ambitious 22-year-old marketing manager. During his seven years at Brown-Forman, [John] moved from On-Premise Market Manager for central and northern California to State Manager for Nevada, tackling responsibilities from event planning to managing a $1.5-million-dollar budget. [John] learned quickly, forging partnerships with NASCAR, NFR, and the PBR Association, harnessing the energy of the Vegas nightlife for sold-out brand launches and other special events. For one NASCAR week, [John] even acquired Gaming Commission approval to brand all tables and chips at Palms Casino with Jack Daniels logos—an unprecedented move.
All of this came at an age when most future businessmen are still pondering various career paths. But Brown-Forman’s risk clearly paid off, and [John]’s career took off. His tenure at Brown-Forman left both the company and Mr. Alvarez poised for even bigger, bolder future successes. [John] next pivoted from learning the ropes with a respected powerhouse to building companies from scratch. First, Lyons Brown III (of the Brown-Forman lineage) took [John] on as Director of Sales for his new start up, Altamar Brands (Altamar’s most renowned brand, Ocho Tequila, recently sold for $20 million).[John] was responsible for all of Altamar’s business in the entire western United States. As part of his hands-on approach, [John] not only continued in sales, marketing, and distribution, but also consulted on branding and packaging. [John] eventually led innovative distribution programming for the Altamar portfolio across the western United States.
After two years with Altamar, [John] mobilized his new expertise to embark upon expansive and global new projects. [John] and his co-founders built Tres Agaves Products from the ground up. As is his wont in all endeavors, [John] immersed himself in every aspect of his new company. He put himself on site in Mexico, visiting distilleries to ensure he understood the process from start to finish—even how the bottles themselves were manufactured. In conjunction with his partners, he developed every product, negotiated contracts and profit margins with every single distributor, hired the entire sales team—and the list goes on. He lived and breathed the entire project from go, because that’s how he works: learning the how behind the what and crystallizing the why behind the how. By the time [John] returned stateside to accept his current position with Beam Suntory, the Tres Agaves brand was firmly established with influential global retailers such as Kroger, Target, and Costco—and the brand just sold to the tune of $60m.
Despite his achievements, [John] still considers it paramount to bring modesty, honesty, and integrity to the profit-driven world of business. Based on his ambition and confidence, you wouldn’t guess that [John] is a family man at heart, a father of two and the son of a lifetime Public Works employee. His father never imagined that [John] would go to college, much less establish himself so solidly in such a competitive industry, but [John]’s blue-collar upbringing is precisely the foundation to his success. The example of a dedicated, hard-working father instilled in [John] the kind of work ethic that earns results. [John] knows how to apply himself, to learn the ropes, and to focus on the right details to work up to the pinnacle; he knows what it’s like to tour a bottle manufacturer in Mexico as well as he knows what it’s like to sit on the Board of Directors for the Phoenix Suns.
In sum, [John] is a force and a brand unto himself, with an entrepreneurial spirit extending far beyond the norm. His impressive side projects include consulting for Seven Apart, a Napa Valley winemaker who boasts a 96+ Wine Spectator rating; cofounding the “Bourbon Boys Club,” a clothing line catering to the bourbon industry; and “Tailored Pursuits,” a bespoke suit company and networking organization. These ventures model a core tenet of Chris’ business practice: focused individuals, each a brand unto themselves, inspired to perform at their peak and to present their best face at every opportunity.
His managers and colleagues call [John] “the gold standard.” His son calls him “a great dad.” Future collaborators will call him “the opportunity that knocked.”
E. Sterzinger -- Writer, Editor, Educator 