Celebrating the Brand Ambassador

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In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Adrian Biggs, Director of Trade Advocacy North America. Within this role, he is responsible for developing the strategy for the Brand Ambassador team's operations, activation, and fostering a culture within the advocacy program. Additionally, we have the honor of featuring Jen Marshall, who at the time of this episode was the Community Advocate at Casa Lumbre, focusing on developing program strategy and industry activation for Community Vodka. Jen Marshall has since transitioned to the role of Senior Trade Advocacy Specialist - National at Moet Hennessy.

Show Notes

Translating Hospitality Skillsets to Brand Success

Adrian and Jen discuss the skill sets acquired in the hospitality industry that have seamlessly translated into their successful roles working for brands. They emphasize the significance of managerial experience as a major advantage when transitioning between the two sides, particularly in understanding what works for specific accounts and audiences.

Learning from Observations and Politics

They share the value of observing successful ambassadors, replicating effective strategies, and learning from the shortcomings of others. Adrian elaborates on navigating workplace politics and how it has broadened his perspective, emphasizing the importance of considering key players before presenting ideas.

Navigating Career Progression

Adrian delves into the best practices he employed to advance in his career, from being a Brand Ambassador for a vodka to leading a team of 70 as the Director of Advocacy. These practices include active listening, seizing opportunities to voice opinions, and consistently being prepared to present. They also discuss the post-Brand Ambassador career trajectory, stressing the importance of familiarizing oneself with sales and actively pursuing desired roles.

Guidelines for Social Media Engagement

The conversation turns to the guidelines followed for social media engagement, including adhering to industry standards such as DISCUS rules and leveraging tools like Grammarly. Adrian shares insights from a study on the impact of social media on bartender behavior and recommends using a brand’s social media as a research tool for interview preparation.

Advocacy, Goals, and Culture

They shed light on the steps taken to advance in their careers, emphasizing self-advocacy and the pursuit of meaningful goals. Jen shares her experiences and challenges working with "Community Spirit" vodka, a brand dedicated to giving back to the community, while Adrian discusses his approach to cultivating a cohesive culture among his team of Brand Ambassadors.

Valuable Advice for Aspiring Brand Ambassadors

The episode concludes with insightful advice from both guests, including the importance of networking, seeking mentorship, and mastering tools like PowerPoint through readily available resources such as YouTube tutorials.

This episode offers invaluable insights into the world of trade advocacy and brand representation, providing practical guidance for aspiring and current professionals in the industry.

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In this interview episode, we have the opportunity to hear from Leva O’Neal and Emmanuel Pena. Leva was employed at Lyre’s Spirit Co.and Manny was Brand Ambassador for Diplomatico Rum during this period of their careers. At the time, Leve O’Neal held the position of Brand Ambassador Team Leader -Central & EAstern Europe with Lyre’s Spirit Co, while Manny served as the Brand Ambassador for Diplomatico Rum.. Since this interview took place, both individuals have moved on to new roles: Leva is currently working in Amsterdam, while Manny now holds the position of CCO of Bosscal Mezcal..

Introduction

In this episode, Manny and Leva delve into the world of Brand Ambassadors in the liquor industry, shedding light on the challenges, triumphs, and unique experiences they encounter in their roles.

Challenges of Working in Different States

Manny discusses the challenges of working as a Brand Ambassador in New Jersey, a franchise state, and the intricate politics of dealing with distributors within the state. Additionally, they explore the unique hurdles of working in control states such as Pennsylvania and Texas.

Transition to Brand Ambassadorship

The hosts share insights into their professional journeys, detailing their careers before becoming Brand Ambassadors and the driving forces that led them to take the leap into this role. They also touch on what specifically appealed to them about representing their respective brands.

Alignment with Brand Values

Leva emphasizes the importance of finding a brand that aligns with her personal values, highlighting the significance of this alignment in her role as a Brand Ambassador.

Managing Stress and Challenges

The discussion delves into the stress and challenges inherent in the role of a Brand Ambassador, offering valuable insights into how they effectively manage these demands. Additionally, they address the difficulties of saying no and share strategies for handling such situations.

Preventing Burnout

The hosts explore the factors that can be exhausting in their line of work and provide actionable tips for preventing burnout. They stress the significance of creating rituals to start and end the day as a means of maintaining balance and well-being.

Trends and Industry Insights

Leva and Manny share their perspectives on the evolving landscape of the liquor industry, with Leva focusing on the challenges and potential of selling a non-alcoholic brand, and Manny highlighting the emerging trends in the rum sector and its future trajectory.

Building Relationships and Adapting Approaches

The conversation extends to the art of building relationships with multiple distributors and adjusting approaches based on diverse cultural backgrounds. They also touch on their experiences with off-premise strategies and leveraging e-commerce to connect with consumers, especially during challenging times such as shutdowns.

Differentiating Off-Premise and On-Premise

Manny delves into the major differences between off-premise buyers and on-premise, offering valuable insights into the distinct dynamics of these two facets of the industry.

Navigating Drinking Pressures and Non-Alcoholic Options

The hosts discuss the pressures associated with drinking and the growing appeal of non-alcoholic cocktails, shedding light on the benefits and considerations surrounding this evolving trend.

Insights from Experience

Leva and Manny conclude the episode by reflecting on their experiences and sharing valuable insights they wish they had known when they first started as Brand Ambassadors.

Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the world of Brand Ambassadors in the liquor industry, offering valuable perspectives on the challenges, strategies, and evolving trends within this dynamic space.

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In this interview episode, we have the opportunity to hear from Nick Crutchfield and Laura Lashley, who were both employed at Diageo Wine and Spirits during this period of their careers. At the time, Nick Crutchfield was Division Educator with Diageo Hospitality Partnership, while Lauren Lashley served as the National Education Manager for @Seedlip. Since this interview, both individuals have moved on to new roles: Nick is currently serving as the Director of Advocacy for Lyres, while Laura now holds the position of On-Premise Manager for Northern California at Diageo.

Show Notes

·In our podcast episode, we delve into the actions taken by Nick and Laura within their hospitality careers that made them stand out to brands. We also explore their motivations for making a career change.

· The transition to a new role often presents challenges, and we discuss the obstacles faced by our guests during this process. Furthermore, we explore how they effectively adapted to their new roles.

· We emphasize the importance of promoting oneself and provide practical tips on how to accomplish this. It is crucial to showcase your achievements and abilities.

· We highlight various courses that can enhance your career, such as Toast Masters and Excel. These educational opportunities can greatly amplify your professional growth.

· Our guest, Nick, elaborates on the numerous benefits of being involved in Toast Masters. He shares insights on how this organization has positively impacted his personal and professional development.

· Laura shares her experience of transitioning from a bartender to a Brand Ambassador. She candidly discusses the challenges she faced during this career change.

· We share effective tactics for maintaining balance and organization in our lives. These strategies help us navigate our personal and professional responsibilities more efficiently.

· Laura provides an insider's perspective on Seedlip's early days before it became part of Diageo. Her insights shed light on the brand's journey and growth.

· Working for a small brand offers unique advantages and opportunities for skill development that may not be as readily available in larger companies. We explore these advantages in detail.

· We provide valuable guidance on creating mutually beneficial relationships with accounts and offer key considerations to keep in mind during the process.

· Clear communication with stakeholders about the role and responsibilities of a Brand Ambassador is essential. We emphasize the importance of effectively conveying expectations and limitations.

· Training distributors on best practices in both in-person and virtual settings is crucial. We discuss the do's and don'ts of this training process.

· Nick and Laura reflect on their experiences and share the knowledge they wish they had possessed earlier in their careers.

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In this interview, I had the pleasure of interviewing Aleka Ross for Hotaling.co and Daniella Solano from Makers Mark. These two ladies hold jobs similar to being Brand Ambassadors, but slightly different @Aleka Ross is the Business Development Manager in SF @Hotalingco, and Daniella Solano a NY Diplomat for @makersmark. In this episode, we dive into what exactly that means and such more, including:

Aleka and Daniella - discuss what their roles and responsibilities are
Why it is important for BA’s to have direct access to the Distillers
Brief interlude story about how I was introduced to Junipero Gin
The ladies discuss how they keep the brands top of mind with the Distributor
Alex- creates a newsletter with important information, sales sheets and events
How to streamline your brands to only focus on the ones that connect to them.
Daniella explains why she has the title of NY Diplomat and not Brand Ambassador.
Daniella & AleKa speaks to the advantages and disadvantages of working with a big brand.
The ladies share stories about working for other companies, and the valuable lessons they learned, good and bad.
We discuss how to choose the right job at the right stage of your life.
The importance of speaking to people within a company to get a sense of what it is like working for this company.
Before you take a job decide how you want to spend your time day to day.
Learning to say no to things that will not help you get to the next level.
Learning to say no to things and why you should.
How to build relationships with the sales reps, how and when to say no.
What gives them anxiety and tools they have used to help manage it and be better at your job.

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This week on Episode 28 of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I have the pleasure of interviewing Zach Berger then Brand Ambassador for Edrington and Tommy Mauriello, NY Area Manager for Edrington.

Zach shares his incredible story about how he was discovered behind the bar and why he made the leap to become an Ambassador.
We discuss why being “on” all the time is so important to building your career.
Tommy discusses the differences between a Brand Ambassador and a Market manager and where there is crossover.
Tommy discusses what the role of area manager entails.
They discuss the importance of being part of the internal brand conversations and how many Ideas get crushed and why.
What an Ambassador can you do to get their ideas accepted
We discuss the challenges of switching from bartender to brand ambassador.
Why and how to schedule PTO
Why doing your reporting is so important.
Tommy discusses best practices of how a BA should work with the distributor
Tommy discusses what a BA can do to build relationships with sales team and what practices could ruin your relationship.
Zach discusses how he helps reps achieve their goal and make them an advocate for your brand.
Zach shares best practices of using the cost per ounce to sell in your product.
We discuss how to conduct the casual training across the bar.
Tommy and Zach speak to the challenges of switching from representing known brands to unknown brands and how they overcome it.
What hard lessons have they learned and would like to share with others.

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This week on Episode 27 of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I had the pleasure of interviewing, Nathan S. Reffell, the Multicultural Brand Ambassador for Bacardi and Kyle McHugh Director of Advocacy for Samsung and Surrey.

If you like what you hear please subscribe and leave a review.

Show Notes

Discuss their current roles and responsibilities, Nate as the Grey Goose Brand Ambassador in Texas and Kyle as Director of Brand Advocacy for Simon Surrey.
Nate- Shares how he went from Bartender to Brand Ambassador
Kyle shares the story of his history in the industry and how he landed his role at Samson Surrey
Nate- shares how he came to learn about Grey Goose and the challenges of promoting vodka
Nate - gives a great demonstration of how to place your brand messaging into a conversation organically
Nate- speaks to how he made bartenders advocate for the brands
Kyle talks about the early days of Brand Ambassadorship and how he first became a Master of Whisky
Kyle discusses the training program created, so each ambassador earned the title "Master of Whisky."
Tactics we have each learned to give better presentations.
Nate discusses how entering competitions change his career.
Nate speaks to his new role as the multi-cultural role for Bacardi
We discuss why getting out of your comfort zone is vital to spend time in different neighborhoods and communities.
Kyle speaks to some of Samson and Surrey's efforts to build a more diverse and inclusive community.
Kyle explains why your career development plan is essential for building a well-rounded BA team.
Why goals are important to your career
Being careful about social media and what unexpected consequences it can have.
Kyle speaks to how BA's should approach the off-premise.
We all discuss how to have a successful work with - do's and don't
Kyle and Nathan share last words of advice

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This week on Episode 26 of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I had the pleasure of interviewing, Kirsten, "Kitty" Amann @drinkinglikekitty, the MA / NH Brand Steward for @UncleNearest Premium Whiskey and author of Drinking Like Ladies and Camille Austin also known as “La Loba Alpha”, the Director of Advocacy for Mexican craft spirits company @CasaLumbre. ⁠

Show notes

Camille and Kitty introduce themselves, their roles, and what their responsibilities are
Camille and Kitty share their backstories of where they work within the hospitality industry and why and how they transitioned into the brand side of the business.
Camille speaks about keeping her word as a buyer and how it all comes back around.
Kitty speaks about what it is like working with the legendary Fawn Weaver and Uncle Nearest.
Camille speaks to the importance of creating her own identity as a brand ambassador.
We each speak about what we did to build our brands above and beyond our company, including Camille creating a wolf character, "La Loba Alpha" or she-wolf, Kitty writing a book, and me working on Bar Rescue and beyond.
Kitty tells how the book “Drinking with Ladies” came to be.
Camille speaks to the fact that we are in the business of telling stories, and how we tell our stories can make us stand out in the industry.
Kitty talks about the research she did at the beginning of her career and Uncle Nearest to better understand the black-owned businesses in Boston and discover how much she did not know and what she did to overcome it.
Camille talks about the ways of working within her company, the importance of the advocacy team working alongside the marketing team, and what this looks like.
We each speak to the challenges and the benefits of working within the off-premise and some of the best practices learned.
Kitty discusses what to expect when visiting the " Uncle Nearest Distillery."
Camille speaks about the importance of not getting caught up in the minutia and seeing the big picture.
Tactic to get over the fear of "I am not good enough,"
Both share last words of advice they wish they had known when they started.

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Episode 25 of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I had the pleasure of interviewing, Jordan Zimmerman @Jzimmerman_tx Premium Whiskey Education & Advocacy Leader at @Brown-Forman and then Brand Ambassador for The Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cam Millar.

Don't forget to hit subscribe to stay up to date on the latest episodes and please leave us a review.

In this episode we discussed:

What their roles are and all the responsibilities that fall under their roles.
Cam discusses how he discovered the role of Whisky Ambassador as a person not coming from the cocktail industry and what he did to prepare for the role.
Why being authentic is the approach to the role.
Jordan discusses how they honed in their hiring by focusing on the skilsets that you cannot training:
1. Being able to connect
2. Willingness to learn
Things that Jordan and I did to grow in our roles and connect with the trade as outsiders to the industry.
What they did to educate themselves to become comfortable giving any presentation.
How do you handle the question that you do not know the answer to and establish your expertise -
Cam speaks to some of the interviews he conducted during the pandemic that not around McCallan but more about life, culture etc.. Keeping it topical but not tone deaf to what was happening in the world.
Jordan speaks about bringing social media to the forefront during the pandemic.
Standard guideline to follow on Social.
Cam discusses how he helps bartenders become advocates for your brand - (50:13)
Jordan discusses how out of necessity she developed a digital google form for BA’s to fill out for every activations to streamline legal approval to get the yes.
Jordan discusses keeping a folder of templates that can easily filled out by BA’s and be easily legally approved i.e. menus, invites etc.
Cam discusses best practices of working with Distributor by being proactive and managing upwards to make sure you are both able to achieve your goals.
Jordan - discusses why being selective with your reps is so beneficial to your success and what leg work you can do beforehand to make you are paired with the right one.
The value of saying “no”
Great practices of coming back into the market after covid.
Advice to new brand ambassadors such as:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
2. Write down your Why- why do you love this job
3. Nobody knows how to do this job.
4. Have a goal

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In Episode 24 I have the pleasure of speaking with Anthony Pullen then Vice President of Trade Marketing at Q Mixers and Stelio PapadoPoulos based in Greece, the co-owner of the Tequila bar Barro Negro and the Global Brand Ambassador for Jose Cuervo.

Stelios and Anthony share the stories of their interesting careers before going into hospitality.
Stelios was a seaman working on Cargo ships, and how and when he switched to working with Cuervo.
Anthony speaks to how he was supposed to be a rugby player; when that didn't work out, he went back to college, got a degree in chemistry, and ended up working with Procter Gamble before realizing the hospitality industry was more his speed.
Both speak to their time as flare bartenders in the past.
Both speak to the tactics they use to build and maintain their networks around the globe, including:
- Be curious and be engaging.
- Have intentions for your interactions, especially when they are brief.
- When you have limited time in a mark, plan your time carefully to connect with the right people.
- Writing down conversations and critical information points to remember details about the people you meet.
Anthony shares a great tip about using the reminder function on your apple phone to trigger a reminder not at a particular time but in a specific place. Within this reminder, you can input all the information about the account, including names, conversations, etc..
- Using google maps to create a report of where you went, who you met, and conversations you had in each city.
- We speak to quality vs. quantity conversations- Why having four meaningful connections is better than ten meaningless ones.
Stelios speaks to how he gained his passion for Tequila from Tomas Estes, the steps he took to earn his CRT tequila certificate, and his recommendation of how to understand a category truly.
They discuss best practices for building relationships with the distributor, including:
- Knowing your distributor's portfolio so you do not present a competitor's product.
- Being a former bartender helps brand ambassadors to be an excellent middlemen between the bars and the sales rep.
- Anthony speaks to his philosophy of selling a signature cocktail, over focusing on selling cases and why and how it has worked.
- 2nd Tactic he used to convince bars to utilize a more expensive canned soda over the cheaper soda gun.
- Stelios speaks to how he convinces an account to bring in more Tequila in a country where most accounts only carry two.
Stelios, Anthony, and I give final words of advice to all new BAs doing the job.

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On this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing "Robert Mariana" Italian-born mixologist, currently living in London working as the Global Project Manager at Martini for the iconic MARTINI brand, its vermouths & bitters. Along with "Cameron George," a Whisky evangelist born and raised in Seattle, Washington, spreading the word about whisky around the USA as the National Brand Ambassador for Ardbeg, the 4x reigning World Whisky Distillery of the Year.

Cameron and Roberta start by speaking about their past experiences working as bartenders.

They share their challenges of first becoming a Brand Ambassador:

Finding balance in their life.
The adjustment to corporate life and their communication style when presenting a solution to a problem.
Learning to schedule their time relentlessly while learning to live in the grey when things don't go as planned.
The lesson of knowing you're worth, when to stand up for yourself and when to roll
with the punches.
Why pictures are critical when creating a needs list for events, video shoots, etc., to ensure you receive what you request and other shortcuts to execute an event efficiently.
Actions they take to maintain their network around the globe.
How to provide value to others, and how that helps you expand and deepen your network relationships.
Cameron speaks about using his platform to increase diversity and inclusion within the Scotch industry.
Roberta speaks about using her platform to help others achieve health and wellness, including the Martini Rossi Bartender bike program.
Cameron speaks about competitions and how to use them to build your career and get noticed by brands, and hone your skill sets.
We all speak to mistakes made early in our careers when giving presentations, including trying to mimic other people's styles.
How finding your presentation style and speaking to the things you connect to is more important than presenting what is on the slide.
How to make technical information relatable
Roberta explains why it is crucial to understand the big picture behind the brand and the value you, as a BA, bring to the table.

Lastly, they both speak to the challenges of creating and implementing cocktail strategies for the brands.

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In this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing two amazing women taking the Whiskey industry by storm. @ginafossit the Trade and Education Brand Manager - Canadian Whisky, along with @dramswithkayla Chicago Brand Ambassador for @Brown-Forman Single Malt Scotches and Irish Whiskey. ⁠

In this episode, they discuss the following:

Things they learned during the first few months on the job, such as:

Learning to manage your managers”. By understanding your priorities.

How to say “no” and why it is important
Discovering that you do not need to do everything yourself to prove your worth.
It is okay to outsource so you can focus on your main priorities
Getting thrown into the deep end is the typical experience for most new BAs, and because of this, it is okay to know only some things at once. Nobody expects you to be the expert right off the bat.
It is okay to say I don’t know something and ask for help.

They discuss valuable skill sets they have learned along the way to build their careers, such as:

Learning how to negotiate for themselves so that they were valued.
How they use these negotiating skills to get raises, maternity leave, sign-on bonuses, and much more.
Asking someone more senior for advice, especially in the negotiating process
Asking for what you want because the worse they can do is say no

Kayla- discusses the challenges of building relationships with the off-premise and the tactics she used to overcome them.

We discuss best practices for setting goals that set you up for success and how to handle them when you don’t achieve them.

Gina- speaks to how she could design her role and what that entailed.

Kayla speaks about her career path and her future goal as a Brand Manager at Brown Forman.

Gina - speaks to being a mom and working within our industry.

Kayla and Gina speak to some of the resources they used learned about whisky, including:

Bourbon Stewards course from moonshine university

Michael R Veach- Whisky Historian

The CSS Course ( certified specialist of spirits)

And much more.

Gina - discusses the development of their 4-week Canadian Whisky certification course, which is now available.

Plus, last words of advice for new Brand Ambassadors

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In this episode of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I had the pleasure of interviewing two incredible women, Natasha Sofia Velez then "National Brand Ambassador Director" for Davos Brands, and Earlecia Gibb "National Brand Ambassador for St~Germain."

Be prepared to grab a drink, sit down and get comfortable because, within this episode, we cover many important topics, including the importance of understanding brand strategy, Education courses we recommend, Social media best practices, good management practices, balancing motherhood and the industry and much more.

Here are the highlights:

Courses and books we recommend:

The book "Creative strategy in the business in Design."
Online MBA program called "The Power MBA".
An education platform called Coursera.org on which you can take courses on:
Digital Marketing
Marketing strategy, and much more

Natasha shares what she struggled with when transitioning from bartender to Brand Ambassador, such as:

The challenge of being 23 and English not being her first language.
Learning how to write an email in the proper format, using the appropriate language so that people would read it and respond.
How asking for help and criticism from others helped her grow as an individual and within her career.
The important lesson of learning is that it is okay not to know everything and that honesty and transparency go much further. How words like "I am not sure, but I will get back to you about that" helped her feel more confident when presenting to peers

Earlecia shares the valuable lesson of:

Why it is crucial to understand the bigger picture for your role and what your boss expects of you.
Why having two-way communication is essential.

-The importance of understanding that no matter the description of your role, your main job here is to move boxes. If you don't sell the product, there will be no money to pay your salary.

They both share: How being a BA is not what it looks like on social media. What happens behind the scenes, managing your budget, reporting, creating spreadsheets, and developing strategy is a significant part of your job and many times more important.

We dive into Social Media:

-The struggle social media can play in your life when you are trying to balance yourself with your brand.

-When it comes to social media, it is essential to work for a brand whose core values are similar to yours.

-We discuss how Earlechia reclaimed her social media and harmonized it with the brand's social media needs by:

Getting clear about her core values and finding ways to connect to her naturally within her brand.
Curating moments to integrate the two
Developing a strategy not to make her feed 100% about the brand but finding a way to blend her lifestyle, core values, and the brand's essence.
Being transparent with her company on her needs and wants so they could agree on ways of working that worked for both of them

Management, Pregnancy, and more

Natasha and Earlecia speak about what qualities they believe make an effective manager for BA's.
Natasha and I talk about balancing motherhood and our jobs and some best practices that I have learned along the way.

Earlechia speaks to the importance of ensuring brand strategy reflects cultural relevance by gaining insights from the bar industry to create programs that matter.

Lastly, they share their wise advice with others in this position.

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Meet H. Joseph Ehrmann H.Barman/Consultant/Educator - 12th Proprietor of the Elixir Bar & Chief Mixology Officer and Partner of Fresh Victor and April Watchel 24 year veteran in the beverage and hospitality industry. An experienced mixologist, a cocktail and spirits instructor, Founder and CEO of Cheeky, and the Host of the Movers and Shakers podcast.

In this episode they discuss:

Their career paths within hospitality and their inspiration to creating and launching their own products.

How their business models changed with the times.

Spirit competitions - why they are worth entering, which ones to enter and why.

What keeps them up at night as entrepreneur

Such as validating if there product is the right fit for the market.
Do they need to raise money or not
Who can they bounce ideas off of when you are the senior person.
Keeping in touch with the changing market

Would they hire BA for their brands and what qualities would they look for in that hire.

What they do to build mini advocates for their brand.

H- speaks about his time at Disney school, why it was important and what he learned from that experience.

April discusses her decision to rebrand from “swig and swallow” to “cheeky”

Challenges of finding the co-packer and realities of doing it yourself.

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Today, on Episode Nineteen of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I will have the pleasure of interviewing, @thescotchmadame Whiskey Brand Ambassador for @PernodRicardusa American division and @Tjdcorrigan National Premium Whisk(e)y Ambassador @brownforman Canada.⁠

In this episode, we discuss what it was like to work part-time as a Brand Ambassador. The benefits and the challenges of the role.

Working part-time helped them decide if the BA role was the right fit for them.

Jenna discusses the perks of working for a smaller company, such as seeing the company's inner workings and being included in senior management meetings so you can learn the commercial

side of the business.

I discussed the time I had to train Pdiddy and being more nervous about presenting to the CMO of the company.

Why presenting to your peers is the most intimidating audience and how to get over it.

Challenges of being a Brand Ambassador and systems they put into place to overcome them.

Scheduling best practices
The conflict between marketing and sales
The challenges of new management
Benefits of using the tracking program called Lillypad
How to use Google maps to track your progress in your market
How they used their networks and business connections to help elevate their careers within the company.
Best practices for growing your network and maintaining them.
Last words of advice to New Brand Ambassadors.

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This week, in Episode Eighteen of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I will have the pleasure of interviewing two impressive 20-year industry veterans and longtime friends Jorge Raptis- Diageo's Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits Division Educator and Giuseppe Gallo, the creator of the award-winning spirit Italicus- Rosolio di Bergamotto.

In this episode, we discuss

Their backgrounds within the industry lead to their current roles.
The steps they took in their careers to become specialists within the category of Agave (Jorge) and Guiseppe in Vermouth, Amaros, and Apperitivos.
Guiseppe discusses how he built his reputation by spreading the love of Vermouth within the U.S. "Truth about Vermouth" and worldwide.
Jorge speaks about his time at Diageo and how he built his reputation in the industry through a program he helped create called the "Agave Lab,." And how this inspired other education labs within different categories.
Why education is never ending and why taking the initiative to be in the right meetings and continually ask questions is essential to advancing your career.
The steps Guissepe took to build his career and how it led to him launching his brand "Italicus".
Brand ambassadors and Master Distillers the advantages of them being in direct contact.
Best practices for managing your Brand Ambassador
Best practices for approaching a new account for the first time
Steps to building the relationship with the bar team
What it takes to be a great presenter
Tactics to buiding a win-win relationship with an account
Pay to play - how to handle it, ways around it.
Their final words of advice to Brand Ambassadors

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This week, on Episode Seventeen of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," Elayne spoke with, Sullivan Doh founder of Le Syndicat in Paris and D'Usse' Cognac first-ever Global Brand Ambassador and Ansis Ancovs Global Brand Ambassador for Rooster Rojo and former Brand Ambassador for William Grant in the Baltics.

On this Episode Sullivan and Ansis

- Speak about their careers before becoming a Brand Ambassador and why they made the leap!

Best practices they learned during Covid to keep the on-line trainings interactive. Including, magicians, Dj’s and much more.

-Ansis speaks to how he overcame the challenges of the lack of access to cocktail and bar knowledge growing up in the Baltics ( pre-internet)

Their unique career paths prior to become the Brand Ambassadors, the challenges they had to overcome and the woman educators who helped them along the way.
Steps they have taken to increase their knowledge within the industry, their brand category and much more.
Speak to the challenge of not only introducing people to their brand but also conquering people’s predisposed notions of Cognac in the US and Tequila in Europe..
Things they wish they knew before they started.
New skilsets they have had to acquire since taken the job.
Last words of for new Brand Ambassadors, looking for wisdom

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In this Episode Elayne interviews Andie Ferman, Portfolio Specialist with Hotaling & Co and Brittany Littrell, On-Premise Manager NY at Maison Ferrand.⁠

In this interview we discuss:

The Role of a on-premise manager
Role of managing BDM - Business Development Managers
How brand incentives work
Ways to build a relationship with sales reps
Tactics for closing the deal
How they build relationships with accounts
How they build trust with reps and buyers
Some of the actions they did during the pandemic to support accounts
and build relationships
The challenge of selling in the off-premise and some tactics that work
Andy Ferman -showcases her spirit rap
OND- what it is, how to handle it
Words of advice for future Brand Ambassador

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In this episode Elayne interviews Georgie Bell, former Brand Manager/Society Ambassador at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society UK, now Head of Advocacy Programming - Incubation Brands at Bacardi and

Zahra Bates, Education and Training Manager at Courvoisier USA. ⁠

On this episode these two woman speak to:
Their career paths and why they made the choices that they made.
Their interesting backgrounds that led them into this industry
How they rose to positions that they are currently in.
How it is important to vet the company as hard as they vet you
Why the BA job is not for everyone
How critical thinking is essential to work in hospitality industry and how to use this skillset in ever part of your life and to overcome different challenges of your life.
Zahra and Georgie speak about learning how to not let insecurities hold you back
Their recommendation of how to grow your carer through education
Zara’s challenges of being a person of color and how she overcame them.
Zahra and Georgie - Speak about the initial challenges of jumping from the bar to being a brand Ambassador
How to ask for help and why asking for somebody else’s point of view can really help you get to the next step.
Their best practices to living a balanced life and how to make the best of traveling on the road.
Some of the innovative programing that they have been working on including:

-Investing in the National Urban League and proving grants to people of color

Barrel to bee’s - pairing up bartenders and bartenders

and so much more.

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On this episode of "Celebrating The Brand Ambassador." I have the pleasure of interviewing Jesse Estes, the Global Brand Ambassador for Tequila Ocho, and Todd Richman, winner of the prestigious Best Brand Ambassador award at Tales of the cocktail 2013 and now the National Sales Director for Overproof.

On this episode we discussed:

Todd and Jesse discuss activations and the importance of category education to help overcome the trade and the consumers negative perception and embrace your brand in a new way.
Jesse discusses Tequila Ocho compelling story and why their are two different packaging styles, for American and Europoe.
Both discuss the importance of building there personal brands and how they have done this in the industry. Jesse wrote and published an article of some practical steps you can start today. To read further click on this link: (https://social.drinkscommunity.org.uk/u/9de6cd91)
Todd’s suggested list of books to grow in your career and as a human:
- By Jocko Willink
- Leadership Strategy and Tactics
- Extreme Ownership
- The Dichotomy of Leadership
By Brene Brown
Dare to Lead
By Ryan Holliday
The Obstacle Is The Way
The Daily Stoic
Todd discuss his personal growth journey, some of the roles that he has had and steps he has taken to keep moving hiscareer moving forward.
Jesse discusses what is like to work within in family owned brand, some of the cool things he has been been able to develop (the new limited collection barrel finishes)
Todd discuss the importance oft expense management and accountability when it comes to health and wellness of others.
Todd discuss what it is like work with small company vs a larger company such as Diageo. How to navigate both and succeed.
Some suggestion of wow to achieve a work life balance
Last minute advice for current brand ambassadors or those looking to become one.

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This week, in Episode Thirteen of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I had the pleasure of interviewing two industry legends, Adam Harris, Senior Ambassador of the Jim Beam Distilling Co., and Tim Master, Mister Chartreuse himself. In this episode

They discuss why they leaped going behind the bar to become a brand ambassador.

Advantages and disadvantages of working for an agency

Giving up dreams and changing careers

The challenges of navigating a new corporate structure

Wise words of advice to our younger Brand Ambassador selves

The benefits of barrel programs

Why learning strategy and seeing the big picture are essential skillsets

to develop as you grow in your role.

How the word Scalability haunts our dreams.

Tim and Adam speak about some of the impactful trade programs they implemented

throughout their career for Jim Beam and Chartreuse.

Benefits

Tim's relationship with the Chartreuse monks and the brand programs it inspired.

Some of the good things that happen because of Covid

Adam's inspirational encounter with Dave Pickerell and seeing Maker Mark through his eyes

, and much more

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This week, in Episode Twelve of "Celebrating the Brand Ambassador," I had the pleasure of interviewing two industry icons, "Tomas Estes and Julio Bermejo, "The Legendary Ambassadors of Tequila". They share their incredible personal journeys of how Tequila became their passion, the doors it opened, and the adventure it led to.

Tomas sadly passed a few months after making this recording, and I and so many others will gravely miss him. The world was a better place with him, and I am honored to have called him my friend.

In this episode, Julio and Tomas discussed:

Tomas and Julio discuss how they first became involved in the world of Tequila.
Tomas speaks about the launch of Cafe Pacifico.
Tomas and Julio discuss the legendary gathering of all of the Mexican Distillers at Cafe Pacifico in London. An event that of

this Nature has never happened again. 2002

How at that same dinner, Tomas Estes was recognized as The European Brand Ambassador for Tequila
Tomas discusses how this dinner and future conversations led to Julio being recognized as the American Tequila Brand Ambassador.
What it is like to be the Brand Ambassador of Tequila
Julio discusses his future Tequila L&J.
Tomas discusses the creation of Tequila Echo and the inspiration behind the brand.
Tomas's relationship with the Camerena Family
Tomas’s importation of Mezcal into Amsterdam in 1978 for Cafe Pacifico
Julio's thoughts about what is happening with the Tequila industry at the moment

And much more.

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This week on Episode 11 of "Celebrating The Brand Ambassador." I have the pleasure of interviewing Michael Toscano, NYC Brand Ambassador for Woodford Reserve" and Ian Burrell, the self-appointed and world-famous Global Ambassador of Rum.

This episode discusses what it is like to be a sober Brand Ambassador, how Ian gained his title and "built his own table," plus

Michael experience working at Enterprise Rental Car and making Sales at Angie’s list

And working in this corporate environment prepared him for this current role.

How he started working in our industry as a Bar Back and slowly moved his way up to the bartender to GM

His lesson on learning how to navigate all the layers of corporate america

Being a sober Brand Ambassador is the best decision he ever made, and how it has led to new opportunities in his life and at his company.

Ian Burrel - Tells his story of how he became the self-appointment Global Brand Ambassador for Rum

How and why he built his own table in the industry.

Why he launched his Rum Festival in 2007

How building your own table can help you launch your personal brand

This industry has limitless opportunities- if you make them

How he first started working with Appleton Rum

Why a Brand Ambassador is different than a sales rep.

How he learned about Rum and became well known in the category.

Why it is essential to keep learning and how to do that.

The inspiration behind his Equiano Rum

How he learned how to be a great presenter

Imposter syndrome: We all feel it, and how can you handle it.

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In this bonus Episode, with Lacy Hawkins, the National Brand Ambassador for Monkey 47, Nicola Olianas, Global Brand Ambassador for the Branca Distillery, makers of Fernet-Branca, Carpano Antica Formula, and more. Lacy and Nicola discuss their various sales techniques, including how to turn a No into a yes, how to get the distributor to become your Brand Ambassador, the realities of Brand Ambassador burn out, and so much more

Other points discussed on the show were:

Best practices that helped them moved up within the company
Why sharing your successes is important and how to do this well.
What to do if you do not believe you will hit your goals.
The challenge of transitioning from bartender to Brand Ambassador
How to close the deal with a buyer
How to leave with a yes.
Best practices to become a better partner to your Distributor.
How do you make an impact on an account when you do not live in that market.
Wise words of advice for up and coming Brand Ambassadors

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In this bonus Episode 10 with Lacy Hawkins, the National Brand Ambassador for Monkey 47, Nicola Olianas, Global Brand Ambassador for the Branca Distillery, makers of Fernet-Branca, Carpano Antica Formula, and more. Lacy and Nicola discuss their various sales techniques, including how to turn a No into a yes, how to get the distributor to become your Brand Ambassador, the realities of Brand Ambassador burn out, and so much more

Other points discussed on the show were:

Best practices that helped them moved up within the company
Why sharing your successes is important and how to do this well.
What to do if you do not believe you will hit your goals.
The challenge of transitioning from bartender to Brand Ambassador
How to close the deal with a buyer
How to leave with a yes.
Best practices to become a better partner to your Distributor.
How do you make an impact on an account when you do not live in that market.
Wise words of advice for up and coming Brand Ambassadors

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In Episode 9, I have the pleasure of interviewing the legendary Simon Ford & Tim Cooper. Simon, one of this industry's original rockstar Brand Ambassadors and now the proud owner of Ford's Gin, along with Tim Cooper, an NYC bartender, turned Brand Ambassador and now the Director of Advocacy.

In this show we discuss:

Biggest difference in work-life balance between being a brand ambassador and being a bartender
Why should you interview the company you are thinking of working for as intensely as they interview you.
What has changed in the BA role since the early 2000’s
Tim discusses why sales is an essential part of the BA’s responsibilities.
The challenges faced when your brand is purchased by a large company.
Words of wisdom for those who are Brand Ambassadors or looking to become one.

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This week on Episode 7 of Celebrate the Brand Ambassador, I had the pleasure of interviewing Global Whiskey Ambassadors Nicola Riske of Macallan Whisky & Dave Mitton of Lot 40. These highly experienced Whiskey ambassadors, both of Canadian origin, share similar but very different careers and experiences.

( please note Dave had a bad connection, so I apologies for the audio cutting out here and there when he is speaking)

In this episode Dave and Nicola share with us:

There career path before becoming a Brand Ambassador

Current Trends in Canadian and Single Malts Whisky

Challenges of switching from behind the bar to becoming a Brand Ambassador

Ways to expand your knowledge and why it important to your career.

Asking for what you want so you get the job that suits you.

How to keep a balanced life while traveling on the road.

Dave reveals details of on-line Canadian Whisky education program that was in development

And launched in 2021. It is called the Eh, B, C’s of Canadian Whisky Certification Course!

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On Episode 6 of Celebrating the Brand Ambassador, I have the pleasure of interviewing Anne Lousie Marquis, the National Portfolio Brand Ambassador at Campari, and Xavier Herit, the National Brand Ambassador for Grand Marnier.

Why he became a Brand Ambassador

Anne Louise speaks about how she created her dream role and steps she took to move up the ladder.

Xavier speaks to some of the adjustments he needed to make when he transitioned from bar director to a Brand Ambassador

Some tricks of the trade he uses to stay organized while on the road.

Key words of advice Anne-Louise gave Xavier when he first got on the job-

They speak to activations they have created that they are most proud of and why.

Last words of advice for new brand ambassadors, looking for wisdom.

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In Episode 5, I interview Lynn House, an industry legend and the National Brand Educator at Heaven Hill & Ewan Morgan, Reserve Program Director at Diageo & Whisky Ambassador.

They have risen through the ranks, from being Brand Ambassadors to Heads of their departments. This episode details their career paths and steps to grow in their roles, how they balanced a family while on the road, best practices for managing & educating others, and how they help shape company policy and ideas for their brand.

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In Episode 4, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Jump, Beverage Director of Death & Co Denver & Lauren Paylor, a mixologist and a nationally ranked bartender. Alex and Lauren are Cofounders of the podcast Focus On Health podcast. On this episode

we discussed:

The steps they have taken to build their brand
Why goal setting is vital to growing your career
Jow competing in Speed Rack and Diageo World class helped them build their skill sets and their career
Why they establish their company FOH (Focus on Health),
What is involved in their new roles as Part-Time Brand Ambassadors for Seedlip Drinks and why they love working for this bran.

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This week on episode 3, I interviewed my first Brand Ambassador couple and soon-to-be parents, Gemma Cole and Dominic Venegas. Gemma is the National Brand Ambassador at Aberlour Single Malt and Dominic, Whiskey Convivialist at Pernod Ricard USA. They shared the advantages of online tastings, focusing on the consumer, the benefits of working side by side with your Brand Manager, how to get the most out of your GSMs, hard lessons learned, the benefits of taking the leap from one company to another and much more.

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This week on Episode 2, I had the pleasure of interviewing Erik Andersson, the NYC Brand Ambassador for Hendricks Gin, and Trevor Schneider, the National Brand Ambassador for Reyka Vodka. They share their stories of what it is like to be a Brand Ambassador, the challenges of transitioning from bartender to BA's, and why they love working for William Grants.

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In the premiere episode of Celebrating the Brand Ambassador kicking off in November 2020 during the pandemic, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tracey Eden, Bartender and part-time NYC Brand Ambassador for Empress Gin, and Mathew Riordan NY Market manager for Barking Irons. In this episode, we discuss:

The unusual ways that Tracey and Matt came into their current roles.
What it is like to be a part-time BA.
The challenges and benefits of being a market manager for a small brand
Matt and Tracey used proven techniques to gain placements and build their brands in the competitive market of NYC.
Operating as a BA during the pandemic.
Methods for getting to know the buyer
The benefits of working with Brand Ambassadors from other brands.
Challenges and benefits of BA utilizing Social Media to build their brand presence and drive sales.
How to be a better partner to your account by thinking outside of the box
Benefits of split basing
Off-premise a whole new world.

Celebrating the Brand Ambassador: Recent Episodes

Elayne Duff